The American Motorcyclist Association reports that a bipartisan bill to end health-care discrimination against motorcyclists and ATVers has been introduced in the U.S. House.
U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and Ted Strickland (D-Colo.) on June 8 introduced H.R. 2793 -- "The HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act" -- would bar health-care discrimination against those who take part in legal transportation and recreational activities such as motorcycling, ATV riding, snowmobiling, or horseback riding.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) introduced similar legislation in the Senate: S. 577, "The HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act."
The measures are in response to action taken by federal bureaucrats that legalized health-insurance discrimination against riders and others.
"It's shameful to allow health insurers to discriminate against individuals who take part in perfectly legal hobbies and activities" Strickland said. "According to this rule, a person injured while drinking and driving would be covered by their health insurance, but an individual who falls from a motorcycle may not. It just makes no sense."
Burgess added: "The development of this bill could not have been possible without bipartisan congressional support and the hard work of the American Motorcyclist Association. I look forward to working alongside the AMA to get this legislation passed into law.''
On August 21, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to prohibit employers from denying health care coverage based on a worker's pre-existing medical conditions or participation in legal activities, such as motorcycling.
But later federal bureaucrats reversed the law, writing rules to allow health-insurance discrimination against motorcyclists and others who engage in legal activities like ATV riding, or horseback riding.
The AMA was outraged when federal bureaucrats went against the will of Congress and immediately lobbied Congress to right this wrong. Others involved in the effort include the BlueRibbon Coalition, Motorcycle Riders Foundation, ABATE of Wisconsin, ABATE of Ohio, the American Council of Snowmobile Associations, and the American Horse Council.
"This loophole written by federal bureaucrats must be changed," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. "We need all AMA and ATVA members and all motorcyclists to contact the members of their congressional delegations to support legislation to fix this."
An easy way to send letters of support to members of Congress is through the AMA Rapid Response Center at
www.AMADirectlink.com.
