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
Health care are much more than the 6 of the people, everyone was important, who would have to buy their insurance and the individual Health Insurance market. We are glad to have this discussion and its a subject on which both republicans and democrats have a lot of interest. To your advice. We are holding a hearing today to look at what can be done to encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices to help prevent serious illnesses and reduce Health Care Costs. And i will each have an Opening Statement and then we will introduce the witnesses. Testimony,itnesses there will be five minutes of questions from the senators. I want to thank senator murray ar her leadership and being straightforward negotiating partner on our efforts to present to the senate a limited bipartisan bill to stabilize the andrance market during 2018 2019. She and i will go to the Senate Floor Today at 1 00 p. M. And make a brief statement. And put the text of the in the congressional record. The senators can
We have a boat at 11 45 but that should leave us an opportunity to her from our witnesses and to have good time for questions. I told our witnesses that i was delighted to be talk about something other than the individual Health Insurance market. Im really quite serious about that because we know that larger issues in health care are much more than the 6 of the people i the one of whom is important not to buy the insurance on the individual Health Insurance market. So were glad to get, glad to have this discussion and that the subject in which both republicans and democrats have a lot of interest, and we look forward to your advice. Today were Holding Hearing to look at what can be done to encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices, o prevent serious illnesses and reduce healthcare costs. Senator murray and i will each have an Opening Statement and then will introduce the witnesses. After the witnesses testimony senators will each have five minutes of questions. Let me say be
Please come to order. We have a vote at 11 45 but that should leave us an opportunity to hear from our witnesses and have good time for questions. I told our witnesses that i was to d lited to be talking about something other than the individual Health Insurance market. And im really quite serious about that because we know that the larger issues in health care are much more than the 6 of the people whom have to buy their Health Insurance in the individual Health Insurance market. So were glad to have this discussion and a subject on which both republicans and democrats have a lot of interest and we look forward to your advice. Today were holding a hearing to look at what can be done to encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices to help prevent serious illnesses and reduce Health Care Costs. Senator murray and i will each have an Opening Statement and then well introduce the witnesses. After the witnesses team, senators will each have five minutes of questions. Let me say i w