For years, motorcyclists, ATVers, snowmobilers, horseback riders,
skiers, hang gliders, scuba divers and others have faced discrimination from
some employers who specifically ban those legal recreational activities from
coverage under their health-insurance programs. That has put thousands of
Americans in a position of either purchasing separate insurance policies just to
cover them for one activity, or facing the risk of going without coverage.
The AMA has worked with a consortium of recreation groups, including
the All-Terrain Vehicle Association, the American Council of Snowmobile
Associations, the American Horse Council, the BlueRibbon Coalition, the
Motorcycle Industry Council, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and the National
Ski Areas Association, to address this issue. After years of effort, that group
has been successful in getting "The HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical
Correction Act" introduced in Congress. This bill, designated HR 1076 in the
House and S 616 in the Senate, would bar employers from discriminating against
those who take part in legal recreational activities when it comes to the
health-insurance programs they offer their workers.
More than 10 years ago, the AMA worked to get language specifically
designed to end this discrimination into the original HIPAA (Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act) legislation that was passed by Congress in
1996 and signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton. But when federal
agencies wrote rules to implement that law a few years later, they reversed the
intent of Congress, allowing this type of health-insurance discrimination to
continue.
"It's taken us more than a decade, but we've now gotten back to the
point where Congress can take action to close this dangerous loophole in the
insurance coverage many Americans get through their employers," said Ed
Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. "We can't afford to miss
this opportunity."
Individuals can support HR 1076 and S 616 by visiting the AMA Rapid
Response Center at www.AMADirectlink.com and sending messages to their senators
and congressmen.
From the AMA
Happen to you? Tell us about it on the forum
