AG Candidates Decry Health Insurance Rate Hikes
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Attorney General candidates from across the political spectrum yesterday blasted two major Rhode Island health insurance providers for proposed rate hikes. Below is what some candidates had to say on the issue:
Chris Little, Moderate Party candidate for Attorney General
It is essential that health insurance be available and the cost affordable. In these tough economic times Blue Cross and others must have very compelling reasons to justify Rhode Island families and individuals having to bear the burden of such a significant rate increase. Right now, I see no such justification.
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Let me be clear – As Attorney General, I will never be a rubber stamp for any rate hike, be it from health insurers or utilities. My highest priority will be acting as an advocate for rate payers and ensuring that any request for a rate hike is fully scrutinized to ensure that consumers are being treated fairly and justly.
The politically convenient answer with regard to the requested rate hikes would be to simply bash the insurance companies without actually looking at the issues surrounding the costs of health care. What we really should be talking about are the exorbitant costs associated with health care that lead to these requests for rate increases. Just saying that a rate hike is wrong and attacking the insurance companies does nothing to solve the underlying problem.
Steve Archambault, Democratic candidate for Attorney General
Instead of moving to saddle hard pressed Rhode Island families and businesses with another double-digit rate hike, Blue Cross and the other Health Insurers should produce significant cost-cuts beginning with a reduction in top Executive salaries. I urge Commissioner Koller to turn them down flat.
