Phil King, the author of SB 3281, released this statement on the governor’s veto of House Bill 3281, addressing the issue of what happens when the insurance company gets a reduced, negotiated rate on the medical bills of an insured person. The bill allowed an injured plaintiff to receive the full amount of his bills. This veto is discussed at greater length in my post, “Assessing the Vetos, Part 2) King’s statement:
“I’m disappointed that HB 3281 was vetoed. The ‘paid or incurred’ provision
has the unintended effect of giving the liable wrongdoer the benefit of the
health insurance premiums paid by the non-liable injured party. It also
allows a non-insured injured party (one without health insurance) to recover
fully for their injuries while limiting the recovery available to someone
who has health insurance. This makes no sense.”
Well, it made sense to insurance companies, who sought the veto.
King also expressed unhappiness over the veto of community college health insurance. In a telephone conversation, he said he was concerned that it may cost Republicans in the 2008 election.
