Culver signs bill meant to provide more transparency to health insurance rates

DES MOINES – Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation Friday meant to expand the rights of consumers to be heard before health insurance rate increases are approved or put into effect.

“This is a simple, common-sense bill, in favor of openness and fairness in the marketplace,” Culver said in a statement.

Culver said the state must do all it can to ensure that insurance in Iowa remains accessible and affordable to all, citing recent rate increases by some insurers.

They included the announcement of an 18 percent health insurance rate increase by Wellmark.

Culver directed the state's Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss to place a stay on the rate increase until a third party could review it. In addition, Culver asked Voss to conduct an internal review of the rate approval process.

Culver signed an executive order Friday that outlines steps the executive branch will take to try to contain rising insurance costs. The order requires the state's insurance commissioner to immediately begin implementing some of the consumer protections in the bill.

Those include forming a work group to consider ways of reducing costs of health insurance coverage and health services and submitting an annual report with recommendations by members.

The legislation also requires state-regulated insurance companies to cover substance abuse and mental health treatment for veterans who are employed by a business with more than 50 workers, and some other instances, according to Culver's office.

In other action Friday, Culver signed Senate File 2286, which provides greater regulation of mixed martial arts events.

Those regulations are intended to provide protections for promoters and athletes, Culver's office said, including physical examinations and blood tests before matches.