In the near future, I will re-introduce legislation (former HB 1343 of 2023-24) to require insurers to notify an older adult’s Power of Attorney (POA) of any changes to the older adult's health insurance policy.  This bill will keep POA’s informed of health insurance decisions being made by the older adults who they represent in life decisions.
 
I was contacted by a constituent who was serving as her mother's POA. The daughter told me the story of her mom, who though having mild forgetfulness, was still capable of living independently.  The daughter would carefully research Medicare Advantage plans before helping her mom choose the plan that best met her mother’s needs.  Her mother subsequently enrolled in another plan without consulting or informing her daughter.  This became a serious problem when her mother needed medical care.  The hospital informed them that the original insurance plan had been cancelled, and the new plan did not provide the coverage the former one did.  This, in turn, led to significantly higher medical bills.  This scenario could easily have been avoided if her daughter, as her mother's POA, had simply been informed of the health insurance changes that were made.

Specifically, this legislation will require an insurer to ask the older adult if he/she has a POA and to ask for the POA's contact information.  If provided, the insurer would be required to notify the POA if the older adult enrolls in or cancels a health insurance policy.  If the POA is then notified and a reversal of the recent change is desired, the older adult would have 30 days to rescind enrollment without penalty.  The bill will also provide relief of these duties by the insurer if there is a revocation of the POA.  Finally, the bill provides the insurer with a good faith defense for following the requirements of this bill.
 
Co-sponsors from last session include: B. Miller, Neilson, Ciresi, Freeman, Rowe, Zimmerman, Kim, and Leadbeter.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to ensure seniors and their POA's work together to make fully informed healthcare decisions that meet the specific older adult's insurance needs.