Trust sues over health insurance laws
The Maine Education Association's Benefits Trust, one of the state's largest insurance carriers for educators, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging two new state health insurance laws.
The trust last week filed the suit to block implementation of LD 1326, which requires the trust's insurer, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, to release claims history upon request, according to the Bangor Daily News. The law, supported by the Maine School Management Association, was designed to allow school districts to self-insure or find more affordable plans. One school superintendent was unable to get health insurance quotes from other companies because they did not have access to Anthem's claims data.
But MEA President Chris Galgay said the law, as well as another that requires the trust to use a comprehensive bid process to create a lower-cost insurance option by 2012, unfairly targets the trust. "...It is clear that LD 1326 and LD 404 were enacted to undermine our employee-run insurance plan and replace it with management plans - even if they provide less coverage at higher costs to participants and taxpayers," he said in a statement.
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