CONGRESSMAN PITTENGER TO BLUE CROSS: ‘NONSENSE’ ON THE ANTI-TRUMP RHETORIC

CHARLOTTE - Today, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announced Obamacare premiums will rise 14 percent in 2018, blaming President Trump's decision to end certain insurance bailouts for the increase.

"Does anybody really believe that?" asked Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09). "Blue Cross has raised Obamacare premiums every year, totaling 176 percent since 2013. President Trump did the right thing by upholding the Constitution, which clearly states that appropriations originate in the House, not the Oval Office. A federal court validated this position. Nonsense on the rhetoric from Blue Cross."

In their press release, Blue Cross stated, "had CSR (cost-sharing reductions) not been eliminated, Blue Cross NC's final rate request for ACA customers' average would have been near zero."

President Trump issued an executive order just last week ending the "cost-sharing reduction" payments to insurance companies. Blue Cross originally requested a 22.9% rate hike in August.

In 2014, Congressman Pittenger voted to challenge the legality of cost-sharing reduction payments made by the Obama Administration to insurance companies. Congress never authorized the payments, and a federal court ruled last year the payments were illegal.

Read this original document at: https://pittenger.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pittenger-to-bcbs-dont-blame-trump-for-rate-hike