<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Huffington Post, Oct. 27, 2017</span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">President </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Donald Trump</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit">’s decision to cut off billions of dollars owed to health insurance providers under the Affordable Care Act caused those companies to substantially increase premiums to cover their losses, according to </span><a href="https://www.kff.org/other/issue-brief/how-the-loss-of-cost-sharing-subsidy-payments-is-affecting-2018-premiums" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">an analysis</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> published Friday.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Enrollment on health insurance exchanges like </span><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">HealthCare.gov</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> begins Nov. 1 and runs until Dec. 15 in most states; a few have later deadlines. Consumers who use these exchanges or purchase their coverage directly from a health insurance company or through a broker can expect to see large rate hikes when they shop for plans. Prices already were set to rise before Trump’s action exacerbated the problem.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation studied documents that health insurance carriers submitted to regulators in 32 states and the District of Columbia. These documents detail price changes for health insurance policies and the justification for those changes.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Among those states, </span><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-obamacare-payments-insurers_us_59e01859e4b03a7be57f71a9" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Trump’s action</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> caused premium increases that range from 7 percent to 38 percent higher than they would have been for mid-level “Silver” health plans, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported. The analysis includes </span><a href="https://www.kff.org/other/issue-brief/how-the-loss-of-cost-sharing-subsidy-payments-is-affecting-2018-premiums" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">numerous examples</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> of how specific insurers dealt with Trump’s decision to deny their reimbursements, based on information they provided to state insurance agencies.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">This month, Trump halted payments to health insurance companies serving low-income customers. These so-called cost-sharing reduction payments are intended to reimburse insurers that provide discounts on out-of-pocket costs for people earning up to 250 percent of the </span><a href="http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">federal poverty level</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit">, or $30,150 for a single person.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance companies to reduce deductibles and other forms of cost-sharing for eligible enrollees. The federal government is </span><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-bailout-obamacare_us_5903aa88e4b0bb2d086e8b94" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">supposed to repay</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> the companies for the expense. The payments are worth </span><a href="https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/recurringdata/51298-2017-01-healthinsurance.pdf" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">$7 billion this year</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> and $10 billion next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">But Trump </span><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-obamacare-payments-insurers_us_59e01859e4b03a7be57f71a9" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">decided to cut off those funds</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit">. The spending to reimburse health insurance companies is the subject of a three-year-old </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/21/gop-lawsuit-obamacare_n_6198938.html" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">legal dispute</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> started by then-House Speaker </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/john-boehner" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">John Boehner</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> (R-Ohio), who alleged that then-President </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/barack-obama" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Barack Obama</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit">’s administration was unlawfully spending money Congress hadn’t authorized.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Last year, a federal judge </span><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republicans-obamacare-win_us_5734b476e4b077d4d6f24f8e" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">sided with House Republicans</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> over Obama, but allowed the federal government to continue repaying insurers while the case worked its way through the appeals process. When Trump became president this year, his administration became the defendant in the case, and continued to make the payments until his announcement this month.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">After months of threatening to end the cost-sharing reduction payments, Trump followed through this month by stopping the payments and dropping the federal government’s appeal of the House </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/gop" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">GOP</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> lawsuit. A group of state attorneys general has </span><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/court-trump-obamacare-sabotage_us_598128c6e4b09d24e993d470" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">taken up the defense</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> instead.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">As a consequence, health insurance companies are set to lose an equivalent amount of money because they are still required to reduce eligible customers’ out-of-pocket costs.</span></p></div><figure class="gmail-bn-content-list-image gmail-content-list-component gmail-image" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:40px auto;max-width:630px;min-width:initial;width:630px;line-height:0;text-align:center;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><img class="gmail-image__src" src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/59f240b8140000371b8c9e67.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale" style="box-sizing: inherit; border-style: none; max-width: 100%; height: auto;"><div class="gmail-image__meta-wrapper gmail-js-image-meta-wrapper" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px auto;padding:0px;line-height:1.4em;text-align:left;border-bottom:1px dotted rgb(204,204,204);max-width:100%;width:630px"><div class="gmail-image__credit" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:5px 0px 0px;padding:0px;font-size:0.5625rem;color:rgb(153,153,153);text-transform:uppercase">JI SUB JEONG/HUFFPOST</div></div></figure><div id="gmail-inline-newsletter_placeholder" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter gmail-inline-newsletter--politics gmail-inline-newsletter--inlineWideBackgroundImage gmail-inline-newsletter--one-line" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:20px auto;padding:0px;display:flex;height:250px;max-width:630px;min-width:initial;width:630px"><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__image" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:630px;height:250px;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-image:url("https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/59e7be4914000025068c889e.jpeg?ops=resize_1080_375")"></div><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__inner" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:25px 15px 30px;display:flex;text-align:center"><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__logo" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 15px;padding:0px;background-image:url("https://s.m.huffpost.com/assets/HuffPostHero-d783f680fb974e80346bdfa145131d058e596e1d32f791981875aa481702c770.svg");height:20px;min-height:20px;width:141px;background-size:contain;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat"></div><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__content" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:flex;width:600px"><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__content__inner" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:flex"><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__title" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-family:ProximaNovaCond-Bold,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:2.25rem;line-height:1.1;letter-spacing:0.5px">Subscribe to the Politics email.</div><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__description" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 25px;padding:0px;color:rgb(255,255,255);font-family:ProximaNova;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.1;letter-spacing:0.3px">How will Trump's administration impact you?</div></div><div class="gmail-inline-newsletter__signup" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px"><form class="gmail-newsletter-signup__form" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;width:600px"><div class="gmail-newsletter-signup__email" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:flex"><div class="gmail-newsletter-signup__email-input-container" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;height:40px;width:270px"><input class="gmail-newsletter-signup__email-input" name="email_address" title="Enter your email" type="email" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;height:40px;width:270px;border-width:initial;border-style:none;padding-left:5px"></div><div class="gmail-newsletter-signup__submit-container" style="box-sizing:inherit;padding:0px;height:40px;width:180px;background-color:rgb(13,190,152);border-radius:20px;display:flex"><input class="gmail-bn-signup-submit gmail-newsletter-signup__submit" type="submit" value="SUBSCRIBE" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-family:ProximaNovaCond-Bold,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1rem;border-width:initial;border-style:none;border-color:initial;background-image:none;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;color:rgb(255,255,255);height:40px;width:180px;display:flex;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:0.8px"></div></div></form></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Health insurance companies and most state governments anticipated that Trump might cut off this funding and </span><a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-state-by-state-guide-to-those-wonky-obamacare-payments-you-keep-hearing-about/" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">adopted several strategies</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> to prevent major financial losses and further disruption to the market.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Some states and their insurers opted to only add supplementary premium increases to Silver plans, because those are the ones consumers must choose to receive discounts on out-of-pocket costs. In some cases, those extra price increases only apply to Silver plans sold on exchanges, which are the only places to receive financial assistance, and not on Silver plans bought outside the exchanges.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Other insurers spread the increased costs across all types of insurance ― Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum ― either only on the exchanges or on and off the exchanges.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Trump’s decision does not affect the availability of these cost-sharing reductions or subsidies on premiums for those who qualify. The tax credit subsidies available to reduce monthly premiums for those earning up to four times the poverty line ― or $48,240 for a single person ― largely shield eligible enrollees from price increases because they grow along with the price of Silver plans.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Almost </span><a href="https://downloads.cms.gov/files/effectuated-enrollment-snapshot-report-06-12-17.pdf" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">6 million people</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit">, or 57 percent of exchange enrollees, qualified for cost-sharing reductions when they enrolled for 2017, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Ironically, Trump actually </span><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-obamacare-sabotage-cbo-report_us_59932d45e4b0e789a9470748" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">increased federal spending</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> when he ended those payments to insurance companies. Because premium subsidies rise when prices rise, those bigger subsidies will cost taxpayers $194 billion over the coming decade, the Congressional Budget Office projects.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">But health insurance consumers who earn too much to qualify for subsidies will be forced to </span><a href="https://khn.org/news/overlooked-by-aca-many-people-paying-full-price-for-insurance-getting-slammed/" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">bear the full brunt</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> of the rate increases. More than 80 percent of exchange enrollees received subsidies this year, but that still leaves millions inside and outside the exchanges who pay full price for their insurance.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/lamar-alexander" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Lamar Alexander</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> (R-Tenn.) and ranking member </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/patty-murray" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Patty Murray</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> (D-Wash.) </span><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/24-senators-line-up-behind-health-care-proposal-offering-hope-it-could-still-pass_us_59e8f6a9e4b0df10767ba8b4" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">introduced legislation</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> this month to restore the cost-sharing reduction payments that is co-sponsored by an additional 12 </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Republicans</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> and 12 </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/democratic-party" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Democrats</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit">.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Senate Finance Committee Chairman </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/orrin-hatch" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Orrin Hatch</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> (R-Utah) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topic/kevin-brady" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">Kevin Brady</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> (R-Texas) </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-24/republicans-push-new-deal-on-obamacare-payments-ending-mandates" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">plan to introduce</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> a competing bill with no Democratic supporters. Trump has sent </span><a href="http://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obamacare-trump-alexander-murray-mixed-signals/" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">very mixed signals</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> about his position on these efforts.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">A </span><a href="http://avalere.com/expertise/managed-care/insights/silver-exchange-premiums-rise-34-on-average-in-2018" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">separate report</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> published Wednesday outlined the overall landscape for health insurance prices on the exchanges next year in the </span><a href="https://www.kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-decisions-for-creating-health-insurance-exchanges-and-expanding-medicaid/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank" class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration-line:none"><span class="gmail-bn-clickable" style="box-sizing:inherit">39 states</span></a><span style="box-sizing:inherit"> that use the federally operated <span class="gmail-skimlinks-unlinked" style="box-sizing:inherit">HealthCare.gov</span> exchanges.</span></p></div><div class="gmail-content-list-component gmail-bn-content-list-text gmail-text" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;line-height:1.5em;width:911.5px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:ProximaNova,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px"><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.75rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">For 2018, the average price increased 18 percent for Bronze plans, 34 percent for Silver plans, 16 percent for Gold plans and 24 percent for Platinum plans, according to the consulting firm Avalere Health. Across those 39 states, the average premium for a Silver plan ― by far the most popular option on the exchanges ― next year is $743, Avalere found. The average prices for Bronze, Gold and Platinum plans next year is $561, $831 and $1,125, respectively.</span></p></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>   <div style="height:auto;width:auto">   <div> <div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><font size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt"><div><span style="font-size:13.3333px">A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. </span><br style="font-size:13.3333px"><br style="font-size:13.3333px"><span style="font-size:13.3333px">-Greek proverb</span></div><div><br>
“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. 
Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance 
from another. This immaturity is self- imposed when its cause lies not 
in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it 
without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! ‘Have courage to use your 
own understand-ing!—that is the motto of enlightenment.<br>
<br>
--Immanuel Kant<br>
<br><br></div></span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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