[Mrfnews] 07NR02-End Discrimination of Bikers

[mrfnews at mrf.org]

07NR02 – End Discrimination of Bikers
MRF E-MAIL NEWS
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
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Suite 510
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Hennie, MRF Vice-President of Government Relations
jeff at mrf.org (e-mail)

#07NR02 – End Discrimination of Bikers

Federal Legislation to End Discrimination of Bikers Introduced

February 21 Washington DC

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation reports that legislation to close the
loophole that currently exists in our nation’s health insurance industry
has been introduced in the US Senate (S 616) and House (HR 1076).

Under current law, group market insurance customers - that’s everyone who
has insurance from a job in the private sector, military or government -
can be denied benefits for a particular injury just because it came from
an motorcycle accident.

Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) in 1996 to ensure proper access to health insurance for all
American workers. Once the bureaucrats at the US Department of Health and
Human Services issued their final ruling on the law they managed to allow
a loophole that can be used to discriminate against motorcyclists when the
need health insurance the most, after an accident.

The loophole also is used by insurance companies to deny benefits for any
accidents that stem from horseback riding, snowmobiling, and snow skiing,
just to name a few.

“This legislation will right an injustice done to America’s motorcycling
community,” said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for
the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.  “We are asking the Congress to tell the
insurance industry that they can no longer get away with refusing benefits
that have been bought and paid for by motorcyclists”.

The House legislation has been referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, while the Senate bill is sitting before the Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions Committee.

In order to pass this legislation, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation needs
your help. Please join your fellow freedom fighters and ask your Members
of Congress and Senators to co-sponsor this important legislation.

The legislation to close this loophole has been around for the last few
sessions of Congress, but the bills introduced in this 110th Congress have
a few new twists. First, the House Democrat lead is new. Welcome Bart
Stupak to the picture; he is a 8th term Democrat from Upper Peninsula
Michigan and the geographic top third of the mitten state. Mr. Stupak’s
district has tens of thousands of miles of snowmobiling trails and most of
his constituents use their snow machines to commute, run errands and
socialize, making the snowmobile an integral part of everyday life. Mr.
Stupak is also close friends with the Chairman of the House committee that
has jurisdiction over the measure; and is a subcommittee chairman on the
same full committee.

The House Republican lead is the same, Michael Burgess. Burgess is medical
doctor from, Flower Mound, TX. Burgess was an OB-GYN, delivering 3000
babies before running for Congress in 2003.

The Senate sponsors are the same returning Senators as previous sessions
of Congress, Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The Motorcycle
Riders Foundation thanks all of the champions of this legislation.

Another new development is that the House has adopted the Senate language,
making passage into law slightly simpler by eliminating the need for both
bodies of Congress to form a conference committee to iron out the
legislative differences.  Previously the House and Senate had slightly
different solutions to closing the loophole.

Last Congress saw no major movement on the legislation. With your help, we
can close the loophole that allows our health insurance providers to deny
benefits for an injury simply because it involved a motorcycle.

Ask your federal Representative to support HR 1076 and your two US
Senators to support S 616.  Should you receive any commitments or denials
to support the legislation, or if you have any other legislative question
or concerns, please contact the MRF.


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(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction
permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated
in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists\' rights
organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists\'
rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC,
the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted
exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early
1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause
of rider safety and rider freedom.

The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists\' rights organizations and the
very founders of the American riders\' rights movement among its leading
members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and
regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public
awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists\' rights
organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional
and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as
well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.