My clients, Heidi and Keith Bleazard, testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee the day before yesterday about their wrongfully rescinded health insurance coverage. A summary of the hearing, including Heidi's written testimony, can be found at the committee's website here. Coverage of the hearing from Congressional Quarterly can be found here. The Kaiser Family Foundation report on the hearing is here.
I was able to attend the proceeding. It was impressive to see the positive response to the Bleazards' situation. Support came not just from Representative Waxman, who chairs the committee, and the other Democrats but from the Republicans on the committee and even from the representative of the health insurance trade association, America's Health Insurance Plans, Stephanie Kanwit, who also testified at the hearing. Everyone agreed that what happened to Heidi in having her coverage rescinded was simply wrong.
We filed a class action last year seeking to put an end to Regence's systematic failures to properly investigate rescission cases and comply with Utah state insurance law. The Bleazards are the class representatives in that case. Our motion to certify the class is currently briefed and pending before the court.
The Bleazards are wonderful people. I've had only a few over my career that I feel so privileged to represent.