Over the course of several weeks, thousands of community members took action in response to requests from the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) and other advocacy organizations to oppose legislation that was potentially harmful to patients with hemophilia. As a result of your calls and letters, U.S. Senate Bill 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act (HIMMA), introduced by Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY), has been stopped, at least for now.

The bill was designed to broaden access to healthcare coverage for employees of small businesses. The bill, as drafted, might have wiped out important consumer protections that now exist in some states. It could also have created a class of insurance policies that offered inadequate coverage at a high cost.

The bill was defeated on May 11th by means of a procedural motion on the Senate floor. The motion of "cloture," which ends debate and goes to a vote on passage, received 43 nays and 55 yeas. Having not received the 60 yeas necessary to carry the motion forward, debate ended (with no vote on passage) and the bill was effectively stopped in its tracks. It is possible that a reworded version of this bill will appear again during a future session. NHF will continue to monitor this type of legislation and keep you informed of new developments. Our thanks to all members of the community who helped us defeat this troublesome legislation.