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
Stabilize the Health Insurance market. This is two hours and 20 minutes. Senate committee on health, labor and pensions will come to order this morning. We are holding our third of for hearings on stabilizing the cost of premiums and ensuring americans are able to purchase insurance in the individual Insurance Market in 2018. This is the market were 6 of insured americans, that is 80 Million People by their insurance. Those who dont get insurance through medicaid while on the job. For the past fee years, the cost of premiums in the individual market copays deductibles up and skyrocketing in many states. Half of these 18 million americans have government subsidies to cushion the blow of the rising prices. Many of those who find themselves in the other half are being priced out of the Insurance Market that they simply cannot afford. That is why these hearings have a narrow objective. Congress and the president do between now and the limit the month to help premium increases in 2018 and l
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
Half of america. Social security numbers, birth dates, home addresses, phone numbers, even credit card numbers all in the hands of criminals. Ive heard from working families in massachusetts and all across the country since then. The equifax is a nightmare. At best it is a giant hassle. Time on hold with credit reporting agencies, fees for this service and that service, confusion about whats been stolen and what to do about it. At worst, it could be ruinous, a lifetime of responsible spending and borrowing wiped out by Identity Theft and fraud. People are outraged and rightly so. Bad enough that equifax was so sloppy that they let hackers into their system, but the companys response has been even worse. First, equifax hid the information about the breach for 40 days 40 days. Equifax gave criminals a 40day head start to use the information they had stolen while the rest of us were left in the dark. And then, when equifax fine lily decided to disclose the breach, they didnt call or send