By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-894034.mp3
LANSING, MI –
Two state lawmakers unveiled a proposal to bolster consumer protections for health insurance customers.
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The proposal would allow young adults to stay on their parents' insurance plans until they are 26 and discourage insurance companies from cherry-picking customers based on pre-existing conditions.
The new federal health reforms overlap with some of the proposals from Democratic state Representative Marc Corriveau and GOP state Senator Tom George. George says he doesn't agree with all of the federal reforms. He says the new federal law should not stop the state from enacting its own protections.
"There's lots of instances where federal law and state law are in concert with each other," he says.
The proposal would also require insurers to reward people for healthy behaviors, such as not smoking, with lower premiums. It would also cover the health care costs of people who are 300% below the federal poverty line.
There is no timeline to approve the measures, but George and Corriveau say they plan to begin hearings soon after the Legislature returns from its spring break.