A Florida House panel has approved a measure that would let consumers purchase health insurance across state lines. But not everyone is on board with the idea.
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State insurance regulators and health insurers worry the plans won’t be equal to what’s offered in Florida. But House Insurance and Banking chairman John Wood disagrees.
“If somebody in Alabama can get a health insurance policy for less money than what we can get in Florida, why do I keep my citizens in Pensacola from buying that policy?” He said.
According to an analysis of the bill, the Affordable Care Act does allow consumers to purchase out-of-state plans if their state has agreements with others. And many insurers offer what they call multi-state plans as well.
But in order to participate, states have to pass a law, and those agreements have to be approved by the federal government. Florida is one of 14 states without a multi-state plan agreement in place.
