Alexander hopeful of passing health care reform to limit premium rate hikes
Health law sign-ups start with shorter enrollment period, higher rates
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The chairman of the
"Our proposal helps the hardworking Tennesseans who are really getting hammered -- those without subsidies," Alexander said. "Because of these skyrocketing premiums, too many Tennesseans find themselves without a way to purchase health insurance."
The Alexander-Murray bill, which is co-sponsored by 24 senators, would restore the federal government's cost sharing payments to health insurance companies cut off by the Trump administration because of court challenges to the legality of such payments.
The
BlueCross blamed about two thirds of the increase on the uncertainty surrounding the cost sharing payments, which were challenged in court because the payments were not specifically authorized in the Affordable Care Act.
More than 230,000 Tennesseans get their health insurance through the health exchange markets and will have to sign up for 2018 coverage, starting today through
Although the state insurance department has approved and authorized such rates for 2018, Alexander said his bill to restore cost sharing payments would provide a rebate next year to enrollees to offset most of the increases in rates. The Alexander-Murray bill also would authorize a new higher deductible plan to offer another cheaper alternative coverage option.
Alexander said he drafted his cost sharing payment plan to offer states more flexibility as a transition method until
Critics of the cost sharing payments complain that the payments are subsidies to health insurance companies. But Alexander said state insurance regulators will ensure that federal payments to insurers help offset the rise in premiums for individuals and allow the health exchange markets to stabilize for the next couple of years while new health care legislation is written.
With the president's support, Alexander said he is optimistic his measure could be approved by the
Premiums for one of the most popular individual health plans in Tennesseee have increased from
"Tennesseans are seeing their plans disappear," Alexander said. "Tennesseans had an average of 59 health plans to choose from when the exchanges opened in 2014, but will have just six in 2018. Our bill gives states more flexibility through state innovation waivers to approve different kinds of health plans, so people would have more choices and lower prices."
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