Reps. introduce two health care bills
One measure updates rules for disabled vets
WASHINGTON — They’re both running for governor of New Mexico in 2018, but U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham are also trying to make their mark on the national health care landscape before they leave Congress.
Pearce, a Republican, on Friday introduced a bill to update an insurance law for disabled military veterans. On Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Lujan Grisham filed legislation to broaden access to Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Pearce’s bill, the Disabled Veterans’ Life Insurance Act of 2017, would update the federal government’s service disabled, or S-DVI, premiums and disability provisions. The Hobbs Republican says they are now based on mortality and annuity tables from 1941.
Disabled veterans sometimes have a tough time obtaining life insurance through the civilian sector because of physical or mental injuries incurred in the military, Pearce said.
“For over 70 years, the S-DVI program has been basing their costs off the assumption that veterans only live
to an average age of about 62 years old,” Pearce said. “The legislation I’m introducing will modernize this program to lower premium costs for veterans and provide increased funds to the families of deceased veterans.”
The bill would adjust the S-DVI cap based on the 2017 inflation rate, increasing the current cap from $10,000 to $95,000, and create a process for adjusting the cap based on inflation each year. The legislation would also boost the filing and enrollment limitation from two years to 10 years, and include enrollment waiver options.
Pearce says his legislation has been endorsed by the Disabled American Veterans, the Fleet Reserve Association, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, S-DVI was established in 1951 to meet the insurance needs of certain veterans with service connected disabilities. S-DVI is available in a variety of permanent plans as well as term insurance. Policies are issued for a maximum face amount of $10,000.
Meanwhile, Lujan Grisham’s Health Care Choice and Affordability Act would allow states that contain counties with one or fewer insurers to offer Medicaid through their health insurance marketplace. The bill is an attempt to address complaints about access to insurance coverage since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act. Twenty million additional Americans have gained insurance under the 2010 health care law.
“My bill offers a new path to coverage through a federal health program — Medicaid — that is working well for many Americans,” Lujan Grisham said. “Medicaid is a tool we should use to ensure choice and affordability in the health insurance marketplace.”
Lujan Grisham, of Albuquerque, served as New Mexico’s health secretary under Gov. Bill Richardson. She said her bill would require states to set premiums that cover enrollee medical costs and 10 percent of administrative costs. The federal government would cover the remaining 90 percent of administrative costs. Those eligible for premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act could apply those toward the cost of their Medicaid buy-in plan.
“Unlike current Medicaideligible people, there wouldn’t be an income limit to qualify,” said Gilbert Gallegos, the congresswoman’s spokesman. “Medicaid just becomes another option as if it were on the exchange. And if you qualify for cost-sharing or premium tax credits, you would apply those to buy into Medicaid coverage, just as you use those to buy into another plan. It’s meant to be self-sustaining and not cost taxpayers additional money than is already available under the ACA.”