BISMARCK, N.D. – Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread, sent a letter Friday to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chair, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), in response to a request for recommendations on legislative changes to give states additional flexibility in stabilizing their individual market and developing broader state-based insurance coverage reforms. The request was made by Chairman Alexander in preparation for an upcoming committee hearing on Sept. 12.
“I appreciate the opportunity to provide the Committee with recommendations on health care reform and believe it is in the best interest of consumers across the nation that insurance regulators be an integral part of this discussion,” Godfread said. “Regulators are currently facing an uncertain and unpredictable marketplace which is causing an unprecedented increase in premiums to the detriment of our consumers. We must be given the flexibility to better tailor the health insurance market to the needs of our consumers.”
Chairman Alexander also requested a recommendation for possible legislative actions that could be taken in order to stabilize individual insurance premiums for the 2018 plan year, along with feedback on the Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver. Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) permits a state to apply for a waiver to pursue innovative strategies for providing their consumers with access to high quality, affordable health insurance while retaining the basic protections of the ACA.
The Committee will hold a series of bipartisan hearings focused on stabilizing insurance premiums and helping those in the individual insurance market in the 2018 plan year.
The here to read the letter.