House Committees To Grill Insurance CEOs Amid Grueling Fight Over ACA Subsidies

Key House health care committees announced they’ll be grilling insurance company CEOs later this month on their role in the rising costs of health in a series of hearings that GOP leaders say will generate a solution for “all” Americans in contrast with Democrats’ focus on extending the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. The move comes after President Donald Trump reportedly told lawmakers Monday he will soon meet with all 14 health insurers.

The announcement also came as President Donald Trump implored Republicans to take control of the health care debate and as moderate Republicans were expected to join House Democrats in approving a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA tax credits that expired Jan. 1 -- a move viewed as a glide path toward a possible bipartisan subsidy compromise in the Senate.

But conservative House Republicans continue to oppose any extension of the credits.

“House Republicans are once again left to clean up the mess of Democrats’ flawed policymaking,” W&M Chair Jason Smith (R-M0) and E&C Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) said a statement on the hearing. “Instead of temporarily bailing out a failing program utilized by a fraction of the country, we have invited five of the top health insurance company CEOs to testify before our Committees to have a discussion and answer questions about rising costs, the current state of health care affordability, and the role played by large health insurers.”

“This hearing is the first in a series to examine the root causes driving higher health care prices and discuss policies that will lower the cost of care for all Americans,” Smith and Guthrie add.

Witnessed for the two hearings, both to be held Jan. 22, include UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley, CVS Health President and CEO David Joyner, Elevance Health CEO and President Gail Boudreaux, Cigna Group CEO, President and Board Chair David Cordani, and Ascendi President and CEO of Paul Markovich.

The group will testify before E&C in the morning and W&M in the afternoon.

In a statement on the hearings, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association says that Blues Plans are laser-focused on making health care more affordable.

“We know that the CEOs participating in this hearing will share valuable perspectives and underscore a shared commitment to making high-quality, affordable care more accessible to all,” BCBSA says.

The House Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Republicans’ new focus on insurers and pharmacy benefit managers comes after the president last month speculated that he could get them to lower their premiums by as much as 70%, likening it to the pricing pressure he exerted on drug makers. T

Trump told lawmakers on Monday that he planned to meet with insurers soon, but further details are unclear.

Asked about a meeting, key lobbies reiterated what they’d said last month when the president initially broached a discussion.

“We know Americans are frustrated by rising costs.... We are eager to drive solutions with President Trump and Congress that bring down the cost of health care,” BCBSA said.

“Health plans are doing everything in their power to shield Americans from the high and rising costs of medical care, and we welcome any opportunity to discuss common-sense solutions to lower costs for everyone,” AHIP CEO Mike Tuffin said. -- Amy Lotven (alotven@iwpnews.com)