Bill Description: House Bill 134 would impose new cancer screening mandates on most private and government health insurers.
Rating: -2
Does it give government any new, additional, or expanded power to prohibit, restrict, or regulate activities in the free market? Conversely, does it eliminate or reduce government intervention in the market?
House Bill 134 would create Chapter 23, Title 39, Idaho Code, to require most private and government health insurers to "provide coverage for breast imaging" and to cover "all costs associated with one (1) supplemental breast screening every year in instances where a person is believed to be at an increased risk of breast cancer."
Insurers would only be permitted to charge a deductible, co-payment, or coinsurance for imaging "in excess of the minimum coverage required" by this law.
Private health insurers should be free to provide services based on market demand, not mandated to provide services based on the preferences of central planners.
(-1)
Does it increase government redistribution of wealth? Examples include the use of tax policy or other incentives to reward specific interest groups, businesses, politicians, or government employees with special favors or perks; transfer payments; and hiring additional government employees. Conversely, does it decrease government redistribution of wealth?
Among the entities that would be impacted by this law are the state health insurance exchange, which provides heavily subsidized insurance for lower-income households, and the state health insurance plan for government employees.
The bill's fiscal note estimates that the state health insurance plan could see increased costs of $300,000 to $600,000, but it provides no estimate of the costs imposed on the state health insurance exchange.
These increased costs will be borne by the taxpayer in one way or another.
(-1)
