Attorney General William Tong released a statement regarding insurance rate hike requests announced by the Connecticut Insurance Department from seven health insurers for plans available on the individual and small group market, both on and off the state-sponsored exchange.
The proposed average individual rate hike request is 8.3 percent, compared to 12.4 percent last year. The proposed average small group rate hike request is 11.9 percent, compared to 14.8 percent last year. Collectively, these plans cover nearly 200,000 lives in Connecticut.
“I will be closely scrutinizing each of these requests and expect to play a very active role in every step of this process," said Attorney General Tong. "Connecticut families and small businesses cannot continue to absorb these increases year after year. The burden of proof will fall on the insurers to justify every penny here."
Tong emphasized his commitment to demanding transparency from insurers: “I am going to—once again—demand that they publicly account for all steps they have taken to negotiate and ensure fair prices for the care they cover. Insurers can and must take responsibility for curbing these out-of-control costs.”
He concluded by noting the broader implications of these decisions: "Decisions here will have an enormous impact on the cost of healthcare for every one of us."