ICYMI: ESTES QUESTIONS HEALTH INSURANCE CEOS AT WAYS AND MEANS HEARING

The following information was released by the office of Kansas Rep. Ron Estes:

U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, joined a full committee hearing to question health insurance CEOs on the economic reality facing American families, and why the "efficiencies" of modern health care don't translate into affordability for patients nationwide.

You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Rep. Estes' full remarks.

Highlights from Rep. Estes' remarks include:

"You'd think vertical integration and scale would result in lower prices and a better patient experience. Yet for the people of Kansas, the 2026 health care market is characterized as a physical and financial desert."

"Families in my district are facing finalized gross premium hikes of 26.6% with benchmark deductibles as high as $6,000 for individuals and $12,000 for families."

"When we talk about consolidation, we aren't just talking about companies. We're talking about the loss of local options. In 2026, 14 Kansas counties now have only one single insurer left available to them. When a local hospital in a community like Derby, Kansas, closes it isn't just a business failure, it's a new, permanent expense for every patient in that town. A routine checkup has turned into an all-day event, including lost wages and travel costs that weren't covered by insurance."

"I hope you can help me understand why American taxpayers who contribute the bulk of your revenue, particularly for what seems to be the Unaffordable Care Act, are seeing a diminishing return in the form of high denial rates and soaring out-of-pocket costs that are utterly unfair to them."

"You own an insurer, you own a PBM, often own some physician practices those should be designed to drive efficiencies and lower costs. However, your own data shows that the multi-billion dollar investments in integration, you still have an increase in health care spending. Naturally, it's up $5.6 trillion in 2025, and health care costs outpaced inflation by 300%, and insurance-owned specialty drugs now cost patients three times more than they did a decade ago."

"Let's be clear, we have 15 years of the Democrats' Unaffordable Care Act, and this has been the result. Americans cannot afford their health care, and the Democrats' only solution is to cut another blank check to the insurance to paper over the inflationary prices."