Chaney offers new health bill criticism

Published 6:56 pm Friday, September 17, 2010

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney cast a critical eyeThursday on the nation’s new health care law, saying that unlessaltered it will quickly lead to increased insurance premiums andlower quality care for patients.

“The more I know about the health care bill, I’m scared todeath,” Chaney told an audience of teenage Republicans and otherGOP supporters Thursday evening during a meeting at the Bank ofBrookhaven.

Chaney’s office does not regulate health insurance rates, thatis a federal government role, but his office is involved in anumber of aspects of health insurance. The commissioner said thehealth care bill is a complicated subject and urged a challenge toa government trend of “creeping socialism.”

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On Wednesday, Chaney will be among a group of insurancecommissioners who will visit the White House and meet the presidentto discuss health care bill issues. The commissioner said time willbe limited, but there are several concerns he hopes to respectfullyaddress.

“You’ve got to say we’ve got problems with this plan that weneed to fix,” Chaney said.

Chaney objected to income tax form obligations for businessesand other requirements in the bill that are unrelated to healthcare. With funding shift maneuvers and other moves, he alsomaintained the administration used “smoke and mirrors” to make theassertion that the health care bill would reduce the deficit.

The commissioner doubted the bill could be repealed, but if itis not changed, he said customers can expect 8 to 12 percent annualincreases in health care premiums over the next three years. Healso suggested the quality of health care that people receive willbe less under the plan.

Chaney mentioned a couple of areas of the health care bill thathe had the option to reject. He indicated an insurance pool andombudsmen provisions of the bill would have resulted in “unfundedmandates” for the state.

In a point aimed at the young Republicans, Chaney said they andfuture generations would be paying for the spending that iscurrently going on nationally. He urged their political involvementto challenge that trend.

“It’s important that we not let that happen,” Chaney said.

The commissioner briefly touched on other areas of insurance hisoffice oversees. He expressed concerns about insurance conditionson the coast.

“When you’ve got an insurance premium that’s more than yourmortgage payment on your house, you’ve got problems,” Chaneysaid.

Prior to becoming insurance commissioner in 2008, Chaney was astate representative from Vicksburg.

As a lawmaker, Chaney was supportive and instrumental in thepassage of a bill to create the Mississippi School of the Arts inBrookhaven. While commenting on recent state budget struggles,Chaney called MSA a “jewel in the crown of Mississippi.”

“If we can survive this year, we’re going to be OK,” Chaneysaid.