February 18 - 25, 2000 -- Insurance Mandates Cost Workers
While some workers benefit from state insurance mandates, many are actually worse-off, says Michael Morrisey, Ph.D., director of UAB's Lister Hill Center for Health Policy. Over the last 25 years, states have continued to pass legislation requiring group insurance plans to include specific types of coverage, but not without a price. "Many insurance benefit provisions mandated by law are expensive. Coverage for visits to a psychologist, for instance, have been estimated to increase premiums by 12 percent. While some workers are clearly better off with access to coverage they didn't have before, many end up paying for additional coverage that is of marginal value to them."
Contact Joy Carter, Media Relations, 205-934-1676 or [email protected].
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