On the Hill
Bill to Exclude Agent Commissions from MLR Formula to be Introduced in U.S. Senate
Senators Landrieu and Isakson lead bipartisan effort.
This week, Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) indicated plans to introduce legislation that would exclude agent commissions from the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) regulations.
Since the MLR regulations took effect last year as a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), producers across the country have seen dramatic cuts in their health insurance commissions. These cuts have decreased services to consumers and threatened to impair the private health care market.
Landrieu has been working with the Big “I” and other producer groups on this issue for quite some time, and the Big “I” is excited that she and Isakson have agreed to offer legislation protecting agents and brokers from the detrimental impact of the MLR regulations. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has also indicated he would cosponsor the legislation.
The bill will be similar, though not identical, to H.R. 1206, the Access to Professional Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2011, introduced last year by Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and John Barrow (D-Ga.), which has 149 bipartisan cosponsors in the House.
Landrieu and Isakson are expected to formally introduce the legislation in the Senate next week.
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