State insurance commissioners weigh in on reform

On May 5, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger testified before a U.S. Senate Finance Committee panel on expanding health insurance coverage. According to news reports, Praeger, who spoke as a representative of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, believes cost control and a strong relationship with state regulators areessential elements of health care reform.

"Health insurance reform will not solve this problem since insurance is primarily a method of financing health care costs," said Praeger. "Whatever is done in insurance reform should be done in a manner that is consistent with sound cost control practices.

"As members of this committee know all too well, the preemption of state oversight of private Medicare plans has led to fraudulent and abusive marketing practices that would have been prevented under state law, bringing considerable harm to thousands of seniors," she said.