Paul Ryan uncovers another inconvenient truth in health care bill

July 16, 2009 House Ways and Means Committee markup of H.R. 3200 Congressman Paul Ryan presses the authors of the one-trillion-plus dollar, one-thousand-plus page health care bill on another disturbing consequence that hits close to home. In less than five years, a Milwaukee-based employer will no longer be allowed to create new insurance policies in the individual market. The creation of new individual private health insurance plans will be illegal as this bill is currently written. From H.R. 3200, Title 1, Section 102: LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of [2013]. (Source: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/AAHCA09001xml.pdf) Earlier today, Paul Ryan asked House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Staff Director Cybele Bjorklund to clarify this concern: Ryan: In 2013, let's take Assurant, a large employer in Milwaukee - 800 of which live in the district I represent - Assurant is a big, individual market insurer. After 2013, Assurant can no longer enroll people in their individual market plans. Is that correct? Bjorklund: Yeah. They can enroll family members of people who are already in and they can choose to participate in the [federal government] exchange, where they will have a large ready market, many of whom will have subsidies behind their backs, and they can operate in there. Ryan: Okay. Just to ask the question again: outside of the exchange, which is where they are right now, they can no longer enroll people in the individual market plans they have after 2013 if they want to continue the insurance they have outside of the exchange. Bjorklund: They can continue to enroll people in the policies that they have operating. They cannot create new policies outside of that window, outside of the exchange, but they can choose to operate in the exchange. Ryan: I guess I'm gaveled. I had more, but I'll ask you later. -- - Paul Ryans Health Care Reform: A Plan Forward: http://www.house.gov/ryan/healthcare/ - Become a Fan of Paul Ryan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/reppaulryan - Follow Paul Ryan on Twitter: http://twitter.com/reppaulryan - Watch Paul Ryan on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/reppaulryan