For Immediate Release
Sen. Hwang: Say “No” to Double-Digit Health Insurance Rate Hikes
Sen. Tony Hwang, Ranking Senator on the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, is urging rejection of unaffordable double-digit health insurance rate increases sought by Anthem, Cigna and ConnectiCare.
In written testimony, Sen. Hwang tells state insurance regulators that “we cannot sustain health insurance rate hikes in Connecticut.” He states that “overall affordability is a crisis in our state, and this crushing health insurance rate increase will exponentially add to that.”
While urging rejection, Sen. Hwang points out multiple missed opportunities which aimed to provide solutions to achieving more affordable and accessible health insurance. Among them: Association Health Plans, Benchmarking, Reinsurance, and Prescription Drug Cost Containment.
Sen. Hwang is appealing to the public to speak out.
“As someone who has worked on a bipartisan basis to lower health insurance rates, I want to make the public aware of an important public meeting regarding proposed double-digit health insurance rate hikes and how people can speak out,” Sen. Hwang said. “Your comment can simply be: ‘No to health care rate hikes.’ Make your voices heard as soon as possible and please spread the word.”
The Connecticut Insurance Department seeks public comment for an August 21 informational public meeting on those requests.
Anyone wishing to speak virtually at the meeting via Zoom can sign up by sending an email to cid.RateFIlings@ct.gov with your name and written comments.
Sen. Hwang said people can also email him comments at Tony.Hwang@cga.ct.gov with their name and town and he will personally submit them to the state insurance department at the Aug. 21 hearing in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. The hearing starts at 9 a.m.
The proposed average individual rate request for the plan year starting January 1, 2024 is a 12.4 percent increase, compared to 20.4 percent in plan year 2023. Increases requested range from 9.8 percent to 17.5 percent.
The proposed average small group rate request is a 14.8 percent increase, compared to 14.8 percent in 2023 and ranges from 7.5 percent to 23.0 percent.
Contact: 860 301 4055
The post Sen. Hwang: Say “No” to Double-Digit CT Health Insurance Rate Hikes; Hearing on Monday appeared first on Connecticut Senate Republicans.
