Do policies need to promote or increase portability of health insurance between jobs beyond what HIPAA has achieved?
SIMON: HIPAA limits the waiting periods that insurance policies can apply to already existing ailments when moving from one job with health insurance to another. But it’s very difficult for workers to get health insurance while unemployed between jobs. The unemployment system compensates partially for lost wages, but offers nothing for lost health insurance. (An exception is the Trade Adjustment Act, which offered limited subsidies for health insurance for displaced workers.) Even if you are allowed to buy into an employer plan through COBRA, the evidence shows take-up is very low; not surprising since the worker must then pay the entire premium. Would it be more efficient to target individuals who are without coverage, who happen to work for small firms, rather than to try to get the small employer to offer coverage? SIMON: Possibly—if many in small firms are getting health insurance from other employers through a spouse and that system works for them, perhaps policy should attempt to
Related Questions
- Do policies need to promote or increase portability of health insurance between jobs beyond what HIPAA has achieved?
- How does the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) restrict access to my health information?
- What is the purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of (HIPAA) of 1996?
