HR 3962: Extension of Coverage vs. States Rights

HR 3962, Sec. 105 allows parents to keep their adult children under 27 years of age, who may or may not be in school or working, and are not enrolled in a health plan, enrolled under their parent's health plan. [Of course, the parent and the parent’s employer will pay the added premium for keeping the additional family member on the plan.] At present, state laws have varying ages and conditions under which children may be kept on their parent’s plan. This bill, however, nationalizes those requirements. It is interesting that Congress can nationalize administrative rules previously under the prerogative of the states to increase insurance coverage for Americans; however, Congress is unwilling to use the same logic to open up competition with a national health insurance market, a move that would significantly lower rates in many markets. If the idea is to get more people covered, wouldn’t making cheaper insurance coverage available to more people, more places be a good start?