2003 Senate Bill 234 ↩

House Roll Call 193: Passed

To apply to Blue Cross Blue Shield the rate-setting procedures and guidelines proposed by <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2003-SB-460">Senate Bill 460</a> for small group health insurance policies. The bill also allows Blue Cross/Blue Shield to acquire companies that sell disability insurance, retain larger reserves, and exempts the company from certain utility taxes. It would also prohibit Blue Cross Blue Shield from reimbursing a health care provider in another state more than the amount it would reimburse a Michigan provider for the same service. The legislation contains other revisions which affect Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and is part of a package comprised of Senate Bills 234 to 238, and 460. The House-passed version of the package generally grants more flexibility to for-profit, non-tax exempt private insurers relative to Blue Cross Blue Shield, which currently dominates the small group health insurance market.