TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Tell Your Nebraska Senator To Vote "Yes" On LB 568 & 568A
Consumer Protection Bill To License/Regulate Health Insurance Navigators Under Obamacare In Nebraska Dear Big "I" Member: LB 568 - the Health Insurance Exchange Navigator Licensure Act- allows the Nebraska Department of Insurance to license and regulate federally-mandated "navigators", who will assist Nebraska insurance consumers in obtaining health insurance coverage through Nebraska's Health Insurance Exchange/Marketplace mandated by Obamacare - set to start open enrollment October 1, 2013. LB 568 is a very important consumer protection measure! - Without passage of LB 568, there will be a regulatory "black hole" at the state level, and largely inexperienced insurance consumers will have no state authority to turn to if they are harmed - intentionally or unintentionally - by advice from "navigators" who will have limited insurance knowledge.
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The federal government has relegated day-to-day, on the ground oversight of navigators to the states - but if LB 568 isn't passed this session, there will be NO regulations in Nebraska, and our Insurance Director's hands will be tied.
To protect Nebraska consumers, we must preserve state regulation of insurance in Nebraska under Obamacare. - LB 568 also clearly delineates the different permissible functions of agents and "navigators" within the Exchange.
It is supported by IIAN, NAHU, NAIFA, and PIA, as well as Nebraska's Insurance Director, because it is good public policy.
Now opponents of LB 568 - including organizations that hope to receive a federal "navigator" grant -
are lobbying heavily against the bill.
We expect LB 568 to be debated and voted on for the first time soon. It is vitally important that you urge your Nebraska senator to SUPPORT LB 568 without any further amendments which would weaken the Insurance Director's regulatory authority.
ACTION NEEDED BY MAY 1:
Please call/e-mail/fax/write your Nebraska Senator by Wednesday, May 1 and urge him/her to vote in support of LB 568 & LB 568A without any further amendments which would weaken Nebraska's regulatory authority.
Also, ask them to support LB 384, to create the Nebraska Exchange Stakeholder Commission within the Depatment of Insurance, which includes an independent agent representastive.
Feel free to send this Action Alert to your co-workers, friends, family, and clients and ask them to call to express their support!
Click here to find your Senator.
Click here for talking points you can put into your message - please put your message into your own words as much as you can.
You can search for and read LB 568 and LB 384 - click here.
Call Carol McClelland at the IIAN office with questions - 1-800-377-3985.
Even if you don't sell health insurance, we urge you to help support LB 568 because it is good for Nebraska insurance consumers, and specifically prohibits navigators from selling insurance.
Thank You!
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