HCS HB 464 Gregory, Kurtis Committee
HCS HB 464 -- HEALTH CARE BENEFITS
SPONSOR: Gregory
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass with HCS" by the Standing Committee on Healthcare Reform by a vote of 9 to 3. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules- Regulatory Oversight by a vote of 6 to 2 with 1 Present.
The following is a summary of the House Committee Substitute for HB 464.
This bill defines "Farm bureau" as a nonprofit agricultural membership organization first incorporated in this state in 1922 or prior, or an affiliate designated by the farm bureau.
This bill provides that health care benefits, as defined in the bill, provided by a farm bureau only to its members and its members' families, will not be considered insurance under the laws of this state.
Financial risk from providing benefits may be reinsured as provided by law, and providers of health care benefits are required to annually file a financial statement with the Department of Commerce and Insurance.
This bill is similar to SB 11 (2023).
The following is a summary of the public testimony from the committee hearing. The testimony was based on the introduced version of the bill.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that farmers are frequently left out of the insurance marketplace, and that, coupled with high costs of healthcare and few options for affordable coverage, may disincentivize farmers from continuing to practice. Other states, such as neighboring Tennessee, have introduced similar policies to great effect. Moreover, a farmer's income may disqualify them from being able to go on Medicare or the Affordable Care Act.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Gregory; Opportunity Solutions Project; Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives; Ben Sanders; Mo Soybean Association; Americans for Prosperity; Chris Brundick; Wyatt Holder; Terrill Lane; Emma Alexander; Megan Richner; Kevin L. Fischer; Stan Cody; and Tyler Bruns.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill are critical of the implications for the insurance market if, as is being proposed by this bill, there are no regulations and no classification of "insurance" on the benefit plans being offered, and no state mandate for the Farm Bureau's compliance. Moreover, this eliminates competition and provides a certain edge for coverage provided by the Farm Bureau. This would give the Bureau significant power over what to cover and does not require any accountability from their end. From the perspective of cancer treatment, the suggested plans do not offer state-law-based safeguards that are vital in diagnosing and treating cancer.
Testifying in person against the bill were Missouri Insurance Coalition; American Health Insurance Plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City; American Heart Association; Missouri Association of Insurance Agents; and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
OTHERS: Others testifying on the bill say that they have monitored implementation in Tennessee to follow any developments and work on preemptively solving potential problems.
Testifying in person on the bill was the Missouri Hospital Association.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.