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State Rep. Tony DeLuca D-Allegheny www.pahouse.com/DeLuca

 House passes DeLuca small group insurance reform bill

HARRISBURG, June 29 – State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said the House of Representatives has passed his legislation that would reform the small group insurance market in Pennsylvania.

DeLuca, chairman of the House Insurance Committee, said his legislation (H.B. 746) would apply to policies that cover employers with two to 50 employees. The bill would cap individual premium increases to 10 percent per year while guaranteeing renewability of coverage for small employers and eliminating pre-existing conditions, including pregnancy, from small group policies.

"Pennsylvania is one of only two states that have not addressed health insurance rate reforms for small businesses," DeLuca said. "My legislation would allow small-business owners to provide affordable health-care coverage to their employees."

DeLuca's bill would also include:

· rating limitations

· the introduction of wellness discounts;

· development of standard health benefit plans for small-business employers; and

· small-business group coverage rate reviews by the state Insurance Department.

In addition, DeLuca's bill would require all full-time undergraduate and graduate students at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania to maintain health coverage. Under the bill, the Insurance Department would create a standard health insurance policy for college students that all insurers would have to make available for purchase.

Colleges and universities could also meet the requirement by offering students equivalent on-campus health services through their own clinics or facilities.

The legislation will now be considered by the Senate.