Congress

Blumenthal Says Proposed Insurance Rates Are Unaffordable

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal says proposed health insurance rate increases in Connecticut are unaffordable.

The Connecticut Democrat says the rates released by the Connecticut Department of Insurance for 2020 on Friday deserve strong scrutiny.

The insurance department says the proposed average individual rate request is 7.8% increase, compared to 12.3% in 2019. The proposed average small group rate request is 12% increase, compared to 10.2% percent in 2019.

The reinstatement of a federally-mandated health insurer tax accounts for about 3 percentage points of each carrier's increase request. The department says ongoing rising medical costs are also a key driver.

Blumenthal says Congress must continue working to bring down costs of prescription drugs and medical services.

Fourteen filings were made by 10 health insurers for plans that currently cover 242,000 people.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us