Oklahoma lawmakers continue work on a bill to allow out-of-state companies to sell health insurance in the state.
Senate Bill 478 will go to conference committee if it passes the house, as it was changed to apply only to individual coverage. Critics maintain out-of-state insurers will skimp on Oklahoma-mandated coverage. Rep. Lewis Moore addressed concerns the bill would be bad for families who just recently saw autism coverage become required by state law.
"The autism coverage that Oklahoma has is a kind of a bare-minimum coverage at this time," Moore said. "There's many other states that have better coverage that, if offered in the state of Oklahoma, would give more options."
SB478 says out-of-state insurers must offer the same plans in Oklahoma that they do in their home state.
Opponents also say Insure Oklahoma expansion is a better plan if the goal is to get more people insured, because they won't be potentially forced to choose a bare-bones plan that's all they can afford. Rep. Shane Stone said lawmakers who claim they’re pro-life but support SB478 are hypocrites.
"We think life is the most precious thing, and yet we're going to have people gambling with their own lives to save a couple bucks," Stone said.
Rep. Collin Walke said the National Association of Insurance Commissioners opposes the bill.
"Interstate sales will start a race to the bottom by allowing companies to choose their regulator, not a race to the top," Walke said. "Interstate sales would actually reduce the options available to consumers ... not increase them. ... Allowing insurance to be sold across state lines would reduce the ability of insurance regulators to assist consumers."
The House insurance committee passed SB478 on a 7–6 vote.
