Senator Judson Hill of Marietta says the health care reform bill will force people off private plans, a claim refuted by non-partisan groups. (photo by Tyna Duckett - Georgia State Senate)
The lawmakers characterized the health reform bill as a government takeover, and said they want to protect the right of Georgians to choose private insurance. Senator Judson Hill of Marietta claimed that the bill will force people off private plans:
HILL: Insurance is on annual renewal, and once it comes up for annual renewal, it goes away, and then the only option is the government plan.
But that claim has been refuted by nonpartisan groups like Factcheck.org and Politifact.com. The rumor is that page 16 of the bill makes private insurance illegal.
In fact, it says that people who already have private coverage may continue under their current plans for 5 years after the bill passes. After that, those plans have to meet new federal standard.
