Please forward!
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From: mrfnews@mrf.org
Date: 2007/05/14 Mon PM 05:32:30 CDT
To: mrfnews@mrf.org
Subject: [Mrfnews] (no subject)

HIPAA Loophole Fix UPDATE

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation reports that legislation to close the loophole that allows insurance providers to discriminate against motorcyclists when it comes to fully funding all benefits is beginning to gain some momentum. The House bill (HR 1076) has 45 co-sponsors, while the Senate bill (S 616) has 3 co-sponsors. As a rule, Senators don't co-sponsor legislation as frequently as their House counterparts. However, that certainly does not mean we should not ask them at every opportunity.

The impressive part of the list of House co-sponsors is that over half of them are Representatives from states that sent SMRO grassroots lobbyists to DC this year, said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF). "I would like to give a huge thanks all of our SMRO partners that have lobbied this important legislation." Hennie added.

Over the past few months MI, WA, WI, NM, NY, NJ, OH, PA, CO, IA, AK, MN, and IL have all sent representatives from their respective State Motorcyclists Rights Organizations to Washington DC to lobby for the advancement of this issue. Those visits resulted in over 200 individual, sit-down office meetings with Senators, House Members and staff.

US Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX), the bill sponsor, had this to say, No one should be denied health insurance benefits because they prefer to drive a motorcycle. It is essential to provide health care benefits to those who have slipped through the loophole by protecting their access to substantive health care.

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