[inaudible conversations] please come to order. We are holding the first hearing on stabilizing premiums and ensuring access to the individuals Health Insurance market for 2018. How to help the 18 million americans and the individual Insurance Market to give an idea of how many people are interested in this, we invited senators who were not on our committee, which has about a quarter of the senate on the committee. To come to. Weve got senators there so that is remarkable interest. We will each have an Opening Statement and then introduced the five witnesses. After the testimony, senators will have an opportunity to ask witnessewitnesses questions andl do it in five minute rounds. This committee includes 23 United States senator nearly one quarter of the members of the senate and that includes senators with the widest divergence of views and has a republican majority of only one. Working together the last two years, weve been able to agree on big steps, big issues about which we have b
This hearing is about taking one small step. A small step on the big issue that has been locked for seven years, Health Insurance. It is a step Congress Needs to pick by the end of this month. By the end of this month. To the 18 million americans, songwriters and selfemployed farmers, those that dont get their Health Insurance from the government or onthejob committees 18 million by their Health Insurance in the individual market and about half of them have zero Government Support to help buy that insurance. 18 million is only 6 of those who have Health Insurance in america. So thats the individual market. Nearly 300 million have Health Insurance, e. 18 million have the individual market that is 6 of all of the insured and 9 million of the 18 million have no government help to buy their insurance and are the ones hurt by higher premiums and copayments and deductibles. A 35yearold making 48,000 a year in lynchburg would receive no tax benefit to cover her 7,100 a year premiums. 7,100dol
Market. The governors of massachusetts, montana, tennessee, utah and colorado spoke with members of the Senate Health committee about issues including allowing states to innovate and create healthcare pools. The hearing is just over three hours. [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] the Senate Committee on Health Education labor and pensions will come toward her. Were holding are second to four hearings on stabilizing premiums and ensuring access to the individual Health Insurance market for the year 2018. That is our focus. We are delighted and honored to have the governors of five states here with us today. Thank you gentlemen. We know how busy you are. You have come long distances to be here. We appreciate it with the court learning from you. Senator murray and i will have an Opening Statement to introduce the five governors. Sounds like a singing group. Then senators will have an opportunity to ask witnesses five minutes of questions. We just left
[inaudible] Insurance Market for the year 2018. That is our focus. We are delighted and honored to have the governors of five states here with us today. Thank you gentlemen. We know how busy you are. You have come long distances to be here. We appreciate it with the court learning from you. Senator murray and i will have an Opening Statement to introduce the five governors. Sounds like a singing group. Then senators will have an opportunity to ask witnesses five minutes of questions. We just left a meeting where the governors met with senators [inaudible] our committee, we had 30 senators there similar to yesterday we had state Insurance Commissioners here. Thirtyone senators most [inaudible] the Committee Meet for an hour and then we had 22 of 23 members. For two consecutive days weve had half members of the United States status and focus on a single narrow objective. What can we do in the next couple of weeks . Thats a tall order. The next couple of weeks that the senate, the house c
And utah. This hearing runs about three hours. [ gavel tapping ] the Senate Committee on health, education, labor and pensions will come to order. Were holding our second of four hearings on stabilizing premiums and insuring access to the individual Health Insurance market for the year 2018. Thats our focus, and we are delighted and honored to have the governors of five states with us here today. Thank you, gentlemen. We know how busy you are. Youve come long distances to be here, and we appreciate it very much. We look forward to hearing from you. Senator murray and i will each have an opening statement. Well then introduce the five governors, after they almost sounds like a singing group, doesnt it . After that testimony, the senators will each have an opportunity to ask the witnesses five minutes of questions. We just left a meeting where the governors met with senators not on our committee. We had 30 senators there, similar to yesterday when we had the state Insurance Commissioners