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Columbia Missourian

Rep. Blunt opposes higher insurance prices for unhealthier groups

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
November 13, 2009 | 4:44 p.m. CST

FULTON — Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt said he opposes efforts to end the insurance industry practice of charging higher rates to unhealthier groups of people.

The Republican, who is running for Senate, voted against a health insurance bill passed last week by the Democratic House because he says it's too costly and expands government-run health care.

Included in the nearly 2,000-page bill are sections prohibiting insurers from raising or lowering rates based on the health of the employee group being insured.

Blunt said he opposes those provisions. He said a better approach would be to expand high-risk health insurance pools for people whose health conditions make traditional coverage too expensive.

Democratic Senate candidate Robin Carnahan has not said whether she would have voted for the House bill.