Jay Nixon announces a mixed bag settlement with Aetna
First, the good news. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon announced a
$4.5 million settlement with Aetna Insurance for not covering the diagnosis and treatment of autism:
The settlement – which includes Missouri’s largest fine ever for insurance law violations – also allows the Missouri Department of Insurance to suspend those companies from doing business in the state for up to one year, if they violate the agreement during a three-year monitoring period.
“The landmark law requiring insurance companies to cover autism spectrum disorders was a great victory for many thousands of Missouri kids and their families,” Gov. Nixon said, in announcing the agreement at the Burrell Autism Center in Springfield. “This agreement demonstrates that we will hold Aetna or any other insurance company responsible to the people of this state – particularly children with autism disorders – to provide the coverage the law requires.”
Great! But, missing from Governor Jay Nixon's press release was another
rather important detail:
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Tuesday that insurer Aetna has agreed to pay $4.5 million for violations of state law that included paying for elective abortions when the women were not eligible under their policies, marking the largest insurance penalty in state history.
In documents outlining the agreement, the insurance company said it covered elective abortions for women who did not pay for additional insurance for those abortions. A 1983 Missouri law requires that women buy optional insurance for elective abortion coverage.
Say what? Yes, part of the huge fine levied against Aetna was for providing coverage above and beyond the stated policy. Let's repeat that - Aetna was fined for providing additional coverage for their clients. And what about this antiquated 1983 law that seems to punish women? Are men required to purchase additional coverage for their reproductive choices? Viagra or vasectomies? Either way, seems like this is just one more way the women of Missouri are getting seriously screwed. One might say–legitimately screwed.