Matt Lesser

Senator Lesser Releases Statement on Proposed Insurance Rate Hikes

Today, state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), Chair of the Insurance & Real Estate Committee, is releasing a statement after insurance companies in Connecticut asked the state Insurance Department to approve rate hikes for health insurance plans that start in 2023.

“The jaw-dropping rate hikes proposed by health insurance companies underscore why I’ve been beating the drumbeat for health care reform, including a public option. The industry is simply not meeting the needs of Connecticut’s families and small businesses. It’s increasingly clear that Connecticut’s health insurance industry needs to be rescued from itself.”

Senator Lesser also said, “These rate requests show that my colleagues, including almost every Republican, who believed the industry that reform wasn’t needed and who fought the Public Option were hoodwinked.

Connecticut’s economy is only as strong as the health of our small businesses. But the small group insurance market – which serves Connecticut’s small businesses – is broken.

I will continue to fight for real reform. I also expect to work closely with Attorney General Tong and the Office of Health Care Advocate to ensure that these proposals receive the scrutiny they deserve before a single rate increase is approved.”

Rate increases requested by insurance companies range as high as 34.6% for small group (small business) customers of ConnectiCare and 23% for small group (small business) customers of CIGNA, Oxford and UnitedHealth.