Health Insurers’ Trade Group Working on Plan for Policy Cancellations

In conjunction with state regulators, America's Health Insurance Plans has begun to draft a proposal that would allow members to appeal policy cancellations to an independent review panel with the authority to make binding decisions, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The proposal would ask states to form such panels, which would include health care professionals and attorneys. Details about the independent review process under the proposal remain undetermined.

AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni said that the group will discuss the proposal in March at a meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Meanwhile, Health Net, Blue Cross of California and other insurers have begun to establish their own independent review programs.

Consumer advocacy groups "say independent review could benefit many patients, whose biggest need when a policy is canceled is to get their coverage reinstated, not to file a lawsuit," according to the Journal (Rundle, Wall Street Journal, 2/27).