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<b>First Posted:</b> 1/30/2008<br><br>SHERRY LONG 
 
 slong@www.timesleader.com


Consumers will get a new voice to help them fight the rising cost of health insurance, under a bill being sponsored by state Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke. 
The Office of Consumer Advocate for Health Insurance is a proposed independent state agency that would be housed in the state Attorney General&amp;rsquo;s office. 
Legislators have worked for several years to establish a consumer advocate to address home, auto, life and health insurance for consumers. 
But this bill narrows the focus for the advocate to health insurance matters because it is the most pressing issue facing Pennsylvania residents, small business owners and municipalities, Yudichak said. 
 &amp;ldquo;I think it&amp;rsquo;s important that we have a consumer advocate that can provide us unbiased advice and advocate for the consumer,&amp;rdquo; he said.
The health insurance advocate office is being patterned after the office of Consumer Advocate of Pennsylvania, which pushes for lower utility costs on behalf of Pennsylvania consumers.
The advocate would have the ability to represent consumer interests before the state Department of Insurance, other state agencies or court proceedings.
State Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Kingston, co-sponsored the legislation. She said health insurance rates are spiraling out of control. 
&amp;ldquo;I&amp;rsquo;m not convinced that health insurance companies are spending our money properly,&amp;rdquo; Mundy said. &amp;ldquo;People are being priced out of the market in health insurance.&amp;rdquo;
The consumer advocate would be appointed by the state attorney general, but would not have any ties to the Department of Insurance commissioner or the private health insurance companies. 
According to the bill, the advocate cannot seek elected office or employment with a health insurance company until two years after he or she has left the post. 
Local health insurance companies aren&amp;rsquo;t fully supportive of the legislation and point out the state has an Office of Consumer Liaison housed in the Department of Insurance. 
Blue Cross spokesman Bill Schoen said the health insurance provider supports initiatives to protect health consumers but believes this legislation would duplicate services already offered. 
Geisinger Health Plan spokeswoman Amy Bowen said officials have not had time to review the proposal. 
&amp;ldquo;Right now our initial reaction is there are already consumer protections in place through the Department of Insurance,&amp;rdquo; she said. 
Mundy thinks the insurance companies are trying to create a smokescreen using the consumer liaison office as an excuse. The liaison office serves as a consumer education division and does not have the authority to fight for consumers&amp;rsquo; rights because of the conflict of interest, she said.

Yudichak calls for health insurance consumer advocate