We the People for Feb. 6, 2010
One health care solutionby Sen. Greg Hinkle
All of us are well aware of the ridiculously high costs of health care and insurance premiums. There are some ways to help reduce those costs. I have introduced a bill draft for the next session titled, "Health Care Sharing Organization Act" (HCSOA). Before I explain the purpose of the bill; I will give you a summarized personal experience that has prompted me to submit it.
Our family were members of a large group of people who shared each others' health care expenses. This was a non-profit organization that had certain healthly lifestyle standards that we had to agree to abide by. One example, we were to be non-smokers. Once accepted into the membership we sent in a monthly payment that was used to pay for the medical expenses of another members. The other members volunteered to pay the needs of other members. This was not an insurance company, participation was voluntary, and there was no guarantee that ones need would be paid. Once a year we sent in $150 that was used for administrative costs. Our "deductable" was $250. There were no high paid CEO's and no profits made by the organization. All of us are well aware of the ridiculously high costs of health care and insurance premiums. There are some ways to help reduce those costs. I have introduced a bill draft for the next session titled, "Health Care Sharing Organization Act" (HCSOA). Before I explain the purpose of the bill; I will give you a summarized personal experience that has prompted me to submit it.
Our family were members of a large group of people who shared each others health care expenses. This was a non-profit organization that had certain healthly lifestyle standards that we had to agree to abide by. One example, we were to be non-smokers. Once accepted into the membership we sent in a monthly payment that was used to pay for the medical expenses of another members. The other members volunteered to pay the needs of other members. This was not an insurance company, participation was voluntary, and there was no guarantee that ones need would be paid. Once a year we sent in $150 that was used for administrative costs. Our "deductable" was $250. There were no high paid CEO's and no profits made by the organization.
This is how it worked. I had need of some very expensive medical tests several years ago. I notified the administrative office of our organization of the need and had the tests done. The bills from the doctor were sent to the organization and the doctor was paid from the funds sent in by others in the group. The Amish cover their community health care expenses in a similar manner. The other members shared in paying my bills and this system worked very well. The monthly amount we sent in was less than what insurance premiums are. The savings to the consumer were significant. At times, the organization negotiated with health care providers to help keep expenses down.
Everything was going just fine until government decided to enter the picture. The State Auditor, at the time, decided we were an insurance company and could not operate in the State of Montana. We were not an insurance company, just a bunch of like minded folks taking care of each other. There were about 80,000 members with about 600 families in Montana at the time. We did not have the funds to sue the state so, by decree of the Auditor, those 600 families lost the liberty to determine their own medical options. I might note here, the group in which we belonged is currently meeting the needs of members in all states except Montana. We were in competition with the major insurance companies operating in the state.
This what prompted me to sponsor the HCSOA. The bill will allow non-profits to form their own standards for health care needs for its members. Let's say the members of all the Chambers of Commerce, or churches, or any other non-profit decide to help pay for needs of their membership. Under this bill, they can do that without government shutting them down. It gravels me when I hear some politician claim the need for affordable health care by creating more government spending, programs and control.
There are solutions to the problems we have in this state, but one must step out of the box to look for them. I wonder where there is Constitutional jusification for government to be the middleman between a patient and provider? Could it be possible that this intervention is one reason why health costs are so expensive?
If you have any questions about this bill or other issues, please call me Monday through Saturday at 827-4645 or email me at ghinklsd7@gmail.com.
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Greg Hinkle represents Montana Senate District 7, in western Missoula County, Mineral County, and Sanders County.