Mandates Affect Cost of Health Insurance Plans in Various States

People can pay different rates for health insurance plans depending on what state they live in, partially because of the range of mandates when it comes to paying for various medical needs.

The Council for Affordable Health Insurance maintains a state by state list of mandates, saying that in some states, customers can pay up to 50 percent more for policies depending on the things insurers are required to cover.

According to the organization, there are at least 1,961 mandated benefits for insurance companies nationwide, ranging from cancer screening to diabetic supplies to cleft palates.

A Boston Herald report this week tells the story of one area couple that is backing legislation that would require insurers doing business in Massachusetts to cover the cost of hearing aids. The CAHI website notes that 10 states currently have this requirement.

One of the most successful recent examples of an insurance mandate is Michelle's Law, which began as an effort to require insurers in New Hampshire to allow sick college students to remain on their parents' coverage even if their illness prevents them from taking a full course load. That provision became a federal law earlier in the year.

Such mandates have been generally popular, but the cost of many health insurance plans can be affected by the things insurers are required to cover in a given state.