WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., issued the following statement on the American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628):

"One of my top priorities in Congress has been to improve healthcare in America, which is why I have always supported the repeal and replace of Obamacare.

"Obamacare has resulted in higher premiums, higher deductibles, lost doctors, and cancelled policies, among many other challenges. Deductibles are so high, many people now feel like they don't even have insurance anymore. One-third of the counties in our country only have one option left under the exchange. That's not choice. That's a monopoly. Almost everyone agrees that our current system is deeply flawed and that healthcare must be improved. Doing nothing is not an option.

"Under the American Health Care Act, the individual and employer mandates are being removed, Obamacare's taxes are almost entirely eliminated (over $800 billion in tax relief), and there will be more choices, competition and affordability than under current law, while continuing to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay on their parent's policy as they can under current law. This is one important step of a three step process to ensure a smooth transition to a better reality for health care in our country.

"There is so much misinformation being circulated on this bill, especially on social media. Here are some specific facts to set the record straight regarding untruthful claims being made over social media and elsewhere:

"Is it true that under the current plan Members of Congress will be exempt? No. At the same exact time the American Health Care Act was passed in the House of Representatives, the House also passed legislation (H.R. 2192) to make it crystal clear that Members of Congress would not receive any special treatment whatsoever.

"Is it true that Members of Congress receive special health care insurance coverage not currently available to the general public? No.

"Is it true that the American Health Care Act changes the definition of pre-existing conditions? No.

"Is it true that under the American Health Care Act, 310,000 NY-1 residents with pre-existing conditions will lose their health insurance? Not within a million degrees of accurate in any way, shape or form.

"Is it true that in New York insurers will be able to charge people more if they have a pre-existing condition? No. New Yorkers with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied health insurance coverage for their pre-existing condition and cannot be charged more for their pre-existing condition.

"But what if New York asks for a waiver? New York is not asking for a waiver, but even if it did, New Yorkers still cannot be denied health insurance coverage for their pre-existing condition and as long as they maintain continuous coverage without a lapse for more than 63 days then they cannot be charged more either. Even if there is a lapse for more than 63 days, states remain required to protect people with pre-existing conditions to ensure they have access to affordable policies, which comes with financial help from the federal government. It is hysteria to claim that people with pre-existing conditions are not protected even if the protection is a little different than in non-waiver states.

"Is it true that there was no Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score for the American Health Care Act? No. The CBO has already weighed in on almost this entire bill.

"Is it true that no one actually read the bill? No. Speaking for myself, I sure did. It's only 138 pages long. Three amendments were added last week, and I read those myself before the vote."

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “aa-” (Superior) of the members of Crum & Forster Insurance Group (C&F). Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+” (Excellent) of Monitor Life Insurance Company of New York (Monitor Life) (New York, NY). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed listing of the companies and ratings.)

The ratings of C&F reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The ratings also reflect the benefits the group derives from its role within the larger Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited enterprise (Fairfax).

C&F’s favorable business profile is supported by its significant and expanding presence in the commercial insurance segment, particularly in the accident and health lines of business, which drove the group’s premium growth in 2025. Despite large dividend payouts over the years, the company’s stable and profitable underwriting, coupled with investment income and capital gains, have led to a stable risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which remains in the very strong range.

As part of the Fairfax group, C&F benefits from capital management services, additional layers of ERM oversight and shared technology development.

The ratings of Monitor Life reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate ERM. The ratings also reflect the financial support and strategic importance to its parent, United States Fire Insurance Company, part of C&F.

The affirmations of the ratings for Monitor Life reflect its strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization as measured by BCAR, which are partially offset by a modest level of absolute capital and surplus. Net premiums written and earnings are expected to remain relatively modest over the short term as the company continues to build scale. Monitor Life holds certificates of authority to write business in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as distributes products through C&F’s national distribution network. C&F coordinates its ERM.

The FSR of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICRs of “aa-” (Superior) have been affirmed with stable outlooks for the following members of Crum & Forster Insurance Group:

• Crum & Forster Indemnity Company
• Crum and Forster Insurance Company
• The North River Insurance Company
• United States Fire Insurance Company
• Crum & Forster Specialty Insurance Company
• First Mercury Insurance Company
• American Underwriters Insurance Company
• Seneca Insurance Company, Inc.
• Crum & Forster SPC
• Seneca Specialty Insurance Company
• MTAW Insurance Company

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2026 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260827295918/en/

Guilherme Monteiro Simoes, CFA
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 882 2317
[email protected]

Brian Virostek
Financial Analyst
+1 908 882 2417
[email protected]

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations
+1 908 882 2310
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Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 882 2318
[email protected]

Source: AM Best