More on BC/BS of Michigan and House Bills 5282-5285

In a recent blog post, Jeff Emanuel discusses Michigan House Bills 5282-5285, pertaining to changes in insurance laws being pushed by Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Michigan. His introduction reads:

“In late 2007, after a single perfunctory committee meeting, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a series of four bills which, if approved by the Senate and signed into law by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, will have a very negative effect on the health insurance market in the state.”

. . . and later in his article he writes:

“Health care giant Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has long enjoyed tax-exempt status in Michigan, as the result of a 1938 deal BCBS made with the state to be the “insurer of last resort” for otherwise uninsurable consumers. This means, for tax purposes, that the carrier was treated as a non-profit corporation, while actually operating as a for-profit business.”

To read Jeff’s entire article, go to his blog-entry page.

Besides being a self-described “combat journalist,” Mr. Emanuel is a Research Fellow for Health Care Policy at the Heartland Institute (a free-market public policy organization) - and - the Managing Editor of Health Care News.