Health Insurance Mandates in Louisiana
Issue Overview: In past years, bills have been introduced in the state Legislature to mandate that businesses provide health insurance to workers and to mandate new coverage for illnesses, conditions and treatments in all health-insurance policies.
NFIB Position: NFIB opposes mandated health-insurance coverage for employees and opposes any new mandated coverage for illnesses, conditions and treatments unless it can be shown that the proposed mandated coverage will not increase the cost of health insurance.
Issue Status: Last year, bills to require larger employers to provide health insurance for employees did not pass. Similar bills are expected to be introduced this year. Each year, new mandates are proposed by various special interest groups. NFIB led the successful fight in 2003 to place a five-year moratorium on such mandates and to allow insurance companies to offer mandate-free policies, but some have ignored that moratorium and will likely introduce more bills this year. NFIB led the fight to kill two mandate bills last year.
What to Do: Contact your legislators and tell them that mandating insurance coverage for employees would impose a cost that many small business owners simply cannot afford. Tell them to oppose any such requirement. Tell them that new mandates increase your health-insurance costs. Remind them that the five-year moratorium on mandates passed in 2003 should be honored. Speak to them personally, but if that isn't possible, contact them by phone, letter, fax or e-mail.
What to Say:
- Many small business owners simply cannot afford to provide health insurance for employees, and some employees cannot afford their portion of the insurance cost if insurance is made available to them. Some employers are even dropping coverage.
- Health-insurance premiums continue to rise, due in part to additional mandates passed by the Legislature.
- A five-year moratorium on mandates was passed in 2003 and that moratorium should be followed.
- Mandates reduce employers' flexibility to design and offer health insurance that is affordable and meets the unique needs of their employees.
