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State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) speaks to a group during a press conference at Chippewa Valley Technical College Thursday. Vinehout discussed her health insurance reform proposal to be introduced in the state Legislature. A recent report released by Families USA gave the state a failing grade on consumer protections in the individual health insurance market.

Vinehout plans health insurance reform

Five bills in state Legislature aim to ease transition to life after college

By: McLean Bennett

Posted: 2/9/09

Unmarried 20-somethings might be able to stay under their parents' health insurance plans if a push for statewide insurance reform succeeds in Madison.

State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) announced plans Thursday at a local press conference to introduce a package of five health insurance reform bills in the state Legislature.

One of the proposed reforms, Vinehout said, would be to allow adults ages 19 to 26 to remain under their parents' health insurance plans unless they get married or find a job that offers more competitive coverage.

"Many people that I talked with that are in college or just out of college want to take a job but they're afraid that they have to look for a job with health insurance," Vinehout said. "I don't want health insurance to stand in the way of people taking that job that they really, really want to."

Several of the other proposed reforms include:

· Limiting the pre-existing condition exclusion period to one year.

· Limiting insurance companies' ability to look back into policyholders' medical records for pre-existing conditions.

· Providing protection against additional underwriting.

· Making the state's high-risk insurance pool more accessible.

· Authorizing the Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner to create a standard insurance application form.

During the pre-existing condition exclusion period, insurance companies can investigate claims as possible pre-existing conditions and deny coverage during the exclusion period, according to a document provided at the press conference. Vinehout's legislation would shorten the period from two years to one.

Another of Vinehout's proposals, according to the same document, would keep companies from looking back more than one year into a policyholder's medical history for pre-existing conditions.

Pamela Gray, a physician at Student Health Services, said she realizes it can be tough for college graduates to find health insurance, but added she disagrees with allowing graduates to remain under family insurance plans.

"I think once you get to be age 22 or 23 you ought to be a little more independent and not being dependent on your parents for your housing or your food or your healthcare," Gray said.

Gray said she wasn't familiar with Vinehout's reform package, but said she thinks limiting insurance companies' ability to look back into policyholders' records for pre-existing conditions is a good idea.

Senior Jay Nielsen said the health insurance industry can be difficult to navigate for recent college graduates, though he said he had some questions about Vinehout's proposal to expand coverage to 26 year olds.

"I think something has to be done because if I were to graduate and stop being covered by my parents' insurance and I'm walking across State Street and I get hit by a car, I'm out of luck," Nielsen said, before adding the proposed 26-year-old cut-off age seems arbitrary. He also said he wonders how the expanded coverage would affect insurance costs.

Vinehout said the proposed reforms don't necessarily seek to reduce insurance costs, but instead attempt to increase certainty in state health insurance.

"When you get insurance you expect it to be coving everything that's a problem," Vinehout said. "But then if the company is giving you a price but then isn't covering what you really need it for, what good is it? So, this proposal would add some certainty to getting that insurance."