McEachin, Connolly, Scott, Beyer Send Letter Requesting Transparency in 2018 Virginia Health Insurance Rates

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 23 -- Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-Va., issued the following news release:

Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) joined his Virginia delegation colleagues to demand greater transparency from Virginia's Commissioner of Insurance, in advance of announcing the 2018 health insurance premium rates.

"The campaign of sabotage waged by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans on the Affordable Care Act recklessly gambles the lives of Virginians for political gain," said Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04). "This Administration injected uncertainty into marketplaces by withholding significant subsidies and threatening not to enforce the individual mandates. This is high-risk, high stakes political gamesmanship, and hardworking families are the ones who suffer. In these perilous times, I join my colleagues in offering my full support to Commissioner Cunningham in shielding Virginians from increased costs to their healthcare and preparation for the long road ahead."

The members note that since President Trump took office, he has launched a campaign of sabotage against the Affordable Care Act, including threatening to withhold Cost Sharing Reduction payments, refusing to enforce the individual mandate, and discontinuing much of the advertisement and outreach activities that were successfully used to encourage ACA enrollment.

"We are concerned that efforts in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act, coupled with the Trump Administration's efforts to sabotage the law, will increase 2018 premiums for ACA-compliant plans in the Virginia Marketplace," wrote the Congressmen. "CSR payments keep insurance affordable for 7.1 million Americans and 218,241 Virginians. Withholding them, as the President has threatened to do, will be catastrophic for these Virginians and their families."

The members urged the Commissioner to consider two proposals that will protect Virginia consumers, including directing insurers to:

* Re-file their individual market plans with two sets of proposed rates--one that accounts for continued CSR payment, and another without CSRs; and

* Factor the increased cost due to nonpayment of CSRs into silver-tier marketplace plans to ensure that Virginia consumers receive premium tax credits that rise according to the cost of their health insurance. Concurrently, as planned in California, require issuers to offer a non-mirrored silver plan off the exchange, so consumers ineligible for premium subsidies do not incur an increase in silver plan premiums due to CSR uncertainty.

Full letter text is here (https://mceachin.house.gov/sites/mceachin.house.gov/files/documents/2017-08-21%20VA%20Delegation%20Letter%20about%20ACA%20and%20CRS.pdf).