HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released a statement on Monday after Connecticut health insurers filed rate increases for the 2018 individual and small group markets, which average as high as 33.8 percent in the individual group market and 31.6 percent in the small group market. The filed rate increases come after President Trump and Congressional Republicans have taken steps to repeal popular patient protections in the Affordable Care Act and dismantle the American health care system.

“Unfortunately it’s not hard to understand why insurance companies are asking for big rate increases when President Trump won’t commit to keeping the Affordable Care Act operating for more than one month at a time. His refusal to make a commitment to continue to pay subsidies that make these exchanges work is clearly causing insurers to come in with rates that reflect that uncertainty,” Murphy said. “I’ll continue working around the clock to protect Connecticut residents’ health care and stand willing to work with Republicans once they abandon their current plan to raise costs and cut coverage.”

Murphy has called on President Trump to stop undermining the benefits of the ACA and, to instead, help stabilize the insurance market by taking action to protect the cost-sharing subsidies that help lower out-of-pocket health care costs for working families.

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