I thought we had already solved this problem.

Ken Birnbaum, a constituent, wrote me that one of his life insurance clients had been issued a policy denying coverage for future travel to Gaza or the West Bank.

I checked with legislative staff.

Ten years ago, we prohibited using an insured’s “past lawful travel” to deny coverage.

Ken was at the witness table beside me today, as was Muhammad Jameel, representing the Islamic Society of Baltimore. His mother lives in Pakistan.

Written testimony from Catholic Relief Services also helped us make the point that House Bill 352 would affect a broad group of consumers.

The bill would allow an insurance company to deny or limit coverage with respect to future travel where “there is an ongoing armed conflict involving the military of a sovereign nation foreign to the country of conflict.”

The life insurance industry proposed an amendment that would add “an active civil insurgency.”

The devil will be in the details.