The following comes courtesy of our friends at NYAPRS and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD).

Tell your Senator to Vote NO on S.1955

The Senate is likely to vote on S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act or HIMMA the week of May 5.

HIMMA, sponsored by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), is a dangerous piece of legislation that would override vital state health care protections for nearly 85 million Americans, including many people with disabilities that currently have private health care coverage.

Call your Senator now to tell them to vote NO on S.1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act, Senator Enzi's bill.

You can call your Senator Toll-Free at 1-800-828-0498 (number provided by Families USA) or send an email through the AUCD action center. A sample letter is provided on the action center. Please be sure to personalize the letter before you send it.

Why is HIMMA bad for people with disabilities?

* It would undermine state insurance rating laws that currently prohibit insurers from discriminating against people based on disability, health status, age, gender and other criteria that help control health care costs for many Americans.

* It would override state laws mandating that certain benefits be contained in private health insurance plans offered in that state. For example, if a state has a law requiring parity between mental and physical health care coverage, HIMMA would override the state law and insurance companies would no longer be required to offer equal mental health coverage.

* HIMMA would impede access to health care providers vital to people with disabilities that state legislatures have deemed necessary in their respective states.