Potential50's MyC-SPAN

The Senate continued debate on H.R.6147, a package of four spending bills for fiscal year 2019: (1) Interior and Environment, (2) Financial Services, (3) Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and (4) Agriculture departments and related agencies.

Witnesses testified at a hearing on health care consumer operated and oriented plans (CO-OPs) established under the Affordable Care Act. The intended goal of the co-ops was to spur competition and provide choices to consumers, but more than half had closed, at a total cost to taxpayers of more than $1.23 billion. Witnesses included Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE), chief of staff of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, and several state insurance officials from Montana, Maryland, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

Vice President Joe Biden told a gathering of state insurance regulators on Tuesday that “soaring” health care premiums are hurting families and businesses, underscoring the need for a health care overhaul. He cited a White House report from the National Economic Council showing premiums across states have been rising at a higher pace than wages over the last decade. He also said that state health commissioners work to protect consumers, but too often they lack the authority or face other limitations to do more.