Senator Byron Dorgan Receives the Dr. L. Michael Kuhn Award from the National Hemophilia Foundation
Senator is Lauded for Introducing Bill Raising Lifetime Insurance Caps
(PRWEB) April 16, 2008 -- U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota was presented with the National Hemophilia Foundation's Dr. L. Michael Kuhn Award on March 6, 2007. The award, which is named for a dedicated community advocate for people living with bleeding disorders, is given each year to an individual or individuals who have worked to benefit the bleeding disorders community in the legislative arena.
The award was presented to Senator Dorgan in front of more than 250 members of the bleeding disorders community participating in NHF's annual "Washington Days" grassroots advocacy event. Community activist Brenda Neubauer, a resident of Bismarck, North Dakota and the mother of a teenage boy with hemophilia, was acknowledged for her role in helping shape the bill's language. Senator Dorgan was chosen to receive the award in appreciation for his efforts to raise lifetime insurance caps, which can be a significant problem for people with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, and those with other chronic high-cost diseases as well. The average cost of care for a person with hemophilia is approximately $150,000 a year or more, and can sometimes reach $1 million or more. Many insurance policies still have a cap on lifetime benefits of as low as $1 million; in some families these policies can be exhausted in a matter of a few years or even less.
On March 5, 2008, Senator Dorgan introduced "The Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act (S. 2706)" designed to establish a reasonable minimum for lifetime caps on private health insurance benefits. The bill:
| | - Stipulates the minimum level of a lifetime cap placed on a group health plan at $5 million during the first two years and $10 million in years three and four.
- Provides for an annual adjustment to a group insurance plan's lifetime cap based on the consumer price index in subsequent years.
- Exempts health plans offered to businesses with fewer than 20 employees, but would require that health plans meeting the parameters of the bill be offered to the small business at the employer's request.
- Calls for an Institute of Medicine study to determine the number of individuals reaching their lifetime caps.
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"I am honored to accept this award from the National Hemophilia Foundation, but the recognition should really go to the Neubauer family and the thousands of families in this country that are battling hemophilia and other serious illnesses," Senator Dorgan said. "These families are facing a number of challenges, but one of them should not be the threat that their insurance company will cut off their coverage."
"This is an issue that has long plagued the bleeding disorders community, affecting healthcare and career choices as well as financial stability," said Ray Stanhope, Chair of the NHF Board of Directors. "The Senator's bill will enable people with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders and their families to remain on their private insurance plans and not have to turn to public assistance. I wish to thank Senator Dorgan for his leadership on this issue."
For More Information Contact:
John Indence
Vice President for Marketing & Communications
National Hemophilia Foundation
Tel: 212-328-3763, Fax: 212-328-3777
E-mail: jindence @ hemophilia.org
About the National Hemophilia Foundation
The National Hemophilia Foundation is dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for bleeding and clotting disorders and to preventing the complications of these disorders through education, advocacy and research.
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