10-R059
2010 -- H7354
Enacted 02/03/10
H O U S E R E S
O L U T I O N
RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTING
COMMISSIONER TO
REJECT THE BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD DIRECT-PAY PLAN RATE HIKE
Introduced By: Representatives Loughlin, Ruggiero, Savage, Ehrhardt, and Brien
Date Introduced: February 03, 2010
WHEREAS, Direct-pay
insurance plans provide health care coverage for roughly 14,000
people who are not covered through employers and are not eligible
for government coverage; and
WHEREAS, In
pay plans. This year, Blue Cross & Blue Shield
requested the state health insurance commissioner
to approve an average 10.2 percent increase for these
direct-pay plans; and
WHEREAS, At a hearing on the proposed rate hike, the Attorney
General’s office and
Blue Cross and Blue Shield agreed to an average 9.5
percent increase; and
WHEREAS, With many small-business owners and individuals in
critical financial difficulties and almost 13 percent of Rhode
Islanders unemployed and having no
access to coverage through that avenue, an increase of 9.5
percent in the cost of health care
coverage is unsupportable, now, therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this House of Representatives of the State of
Providence Plantations
hereby respectfully requests
Commissioner to reject the
proposed Blue Cross & Blue Shield direct-pay plan rate hike and
urges the insurer to “go back to the drawing board”; and be
it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is
authorized and directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode
Island Attorney General, Blue Cross
& Blue Shield of
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LC01176
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