Looks good morning, the Senate Committee will please come to order. We are holding a fourth hearing on stabilizing premiums and ensuring access in the Health Insurance market for 2018. Senator murray and i will have an Opening Statement in the way with hope in our five. Well have the opportunity to ask five minutes of questions. To begin, we ought not to take for granted the three hearings we have had over the last ten days. For seven years, are the civil word was spoken between republicans and democrats on the Affordable Care act. His trump care versus obama care, day in and day out. Rs for the last ten days senators have engaged in serious discussions for several hours at a time about what congress can do between now and the end of this month. To help limit premium increases for 18 million americans next year. And began to lower premiums inei the future and prevent ensures for leaving the markets where the 18 million americans bymeria insurance. Last week between the meeting so befor
Good morning. Senate committee on Health Education labor and pensions will please come to forward. Were holding our fourth hearing this morning on stabilizing premiums and ensuring access to insurance in the individual Health Insurance market for 2018. Senator murray and i will each have an Opening Statement and then well introduce our five witnesses. Welcome to you. After their testimony, senators will have an opportunity to ask the itnesses five minutes of questions. To begin with, we ought not to take for granted the three hearings this committee has had over the last ten days. For seven years hardly a civil word was spoken between republicans and democrats on the Affordable Care act. It was trumpcare versus obamacare day in and day out. But for the last ten days senators from both sides of the aisle have engaged in serious discussion for several hours at a time about what congress can do between now and the end of this month to help limit premium increases for 18 illion americans n
After their testimony senators can ask the witnesses five minutes of questions. To begin, we ought not take for granted the three hearings this committee is had over the past ten days. For seven years, hardly civil word was spoken between republicans and democrats on the affordable character. It was trump care versus obama care, day in and day out. For the last ten days senators have engaged in serious discussion for several hours at a time about what congress can do between now and the end of this month. To help limit premium increases for 18 million americans next year. And begin to lower premiums in the future. And also prevent insurers from leaving the markets for those 18 million americans by insurance. Last week between the meetings held before hearings like the we had today and the hearings half of the senators participated in bipartisan conversations about Health Insurance. I want to thank senator murray again for her leadership in helping make that happen. These have been focu
In a rising premium environment and in light of all this uncertainty what impact does the individual mandate have on peoples purchasing decisions. Again, ties with Family Foundation says most are unaware that the individual and most are aware that the individual mandate is still in effect but for intent of uninsured are unaware or unsure about the individual mandate. So, then the next question is what is going on with other executive orders and this issue of choice. I think the question here is when you give people choices about Coverage Options, it can potentially have an adverse impact on the risk pool depending on what those options are. This issue of choice has a history and it didnt start with this Current Administration but has a history with the transitional plan exceptions, president obama same and if you like your plan, you can keep it. That was the beginning of maintaining Coverage Options outside of these marketplaces that insurers would say would adversely affect the insura
First of all, im an associate pastor at the Public Affairs American University and i am delighted to moderate this panel. Today were talking about private insurance subsidy first ever selection. Im sure everyone in this room knows prior to 2014 the private Insurance Market in the individual market was the wild west. People would buy Health Insurance that was fully inadequate and extremely expensive but on the other hand you had people with employerbased insurance who were very happy with it as the model if you like what you have, you can keep it. The aca was very much focused on changing and improving the private individual market but also preserving the employer supported Insurance Market. Today we will hear from for experts with unique and intricate knowledge about the development, implementation of the future of private insurance and individual market and elsewhere. You have their files and i wont read their list of expertise. First, we had joel michael, partner at mcdermitt, will a