We have five state Insurance Commissioners. Thank you for coming from long distances, some of you, to be with us to give your testimony on how to help the 18 million americans in the individual Insurance Market. To give an idea of how many people are interested in this, senator murray and i invited senators who were not on our committee, which has about a quarter of the senate is on this committ committee, to come to a coffee with the five commissioners that weve just completed for an hour. We had 31 senators there. Thats a remarkable level of interest. Senator murray and i will each have an opening statement. Then well introduce our five witnesses. After their testimony, senators will have an opportunity to ask witnesses questions and well do it in fiveminute rounds. This includes 23 United States senators. Nearly onequarter of the members of the senate. It includes senators with the widest divergence of views. It has a republican majority of only one. Yet working together the last tw
The Senate Committee on health, education, labor and pensions will please come to order. This morning were holding our first hearing on stabilizing premiums and ensuring access to insurance in the individual Health Insurance market for 2018. We have five state Insurance Commissioners. Thank you for coming from long distances some of you to be with us to give your testimony on how to help the 18 million americans in the individual Insurance Market. To give an idea of how many people are interested in this, senator murray and i invited senators who were not on our committee which has about a quarter of the senate is on this committee, to come to a coffee with the five commissioners that we have just completed for an hour. We had 31 senators there. So thats remarkable level of interest. Senator murray and i will each have an Opening Statement then we will introduce our five witnesses, after their testimony senators will have an opportunity to ask witnesses questions and we will do it in f
[inaudible conversations] please come to order. We are holding the first hearing on stabilizing premiums and ensuring access to the individuals Health Insurance market for 2018. How to help the 18 million americans and the individual Insurance Market to give an idea of how many people are interested in this, we invited senators who were not on our committee, which has about a quarter of the senate on the committee. To come to. Weve got senators there so that is remarkable interest. We will each have an Opening Statement and then introduced the five witnesses. After the testimony, senators will have an opportunity to ask witnessewitnesses questions andl do it in five minute rounds. This committee includes 23 United States senator nearly one quarter of the members of the senate and that includes senators with the widest divergence of views and has a republican majority of only one. Working together the last two years, weve been able to agree on big steps, big issues about which we have b
This hearing is about taking one small step. A small step on the big issue that has been locked for seven years, Health Insurance. It is a step Congress Needs to pick by the end of this month. By the end of this month. To the 18 million americans, songwriters and selfemployed farmers, those that dont get their Health Insurance from the government or onthejob committees 18 million by their Health Insurance in the individual market and about half of them have zero Government Support to help buy that insurance. 18 million is only 6 of those who have Health Insurance in america. So thats the individual market. Nearly 300 million have Health Insurance, e. 18 million have the individual market that is 6 of all of the insured and 9 million of the 18 million have no government help to buy their insurance and are the ones hurt by higher premiums and copayments and deductibles. A 35yearold making 48,000 a year in lynchburg would receive no tax benefit to cover her 7,100 a year premiums. 7,100dol
Across the country. Well start with shoons commissioners from oklahoma, washington, tennessee and alaska. The Senate Committee on Health Education and pensions will please come to ord order. In the individual Health Insurance market for 2018. We have five state Insurance Commissioners. Thank you for coming from long distances some of you to be with us to give your testimony on how to help the 18 million americans in the individual Insurance Market. To give a idea of how many people are interested in this, snar murray and i invited senators who were not on our committee, which has about a quarter of the senate is on this committee, to come to a coffee with the five commissioners that weve just completed for a hour. We had 31 senators there. So thats remarkable level of interest. Senator murray and i will have a Opening Statement then introduce our five witnesses. After their testimony, senators will have a opportunity to ask witnesses questions and well do it in five minute rounds. So a