Dold, Hultgren and Kinzinger react to news of higher health plan premiums in Illinois

U.S. Reps. Bob Dold (R-IL), Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) reacted on Wednesday to substantial increases in healthcare plan costs that were announced by the Illinois Department of Insurance.

The Illinois Department of Insurance announced the potential for “significant” price increases in insurance plans purchased through healthcare exchanges, but noted that final rates will not be set until October.

Dold said that uncertainty in healthcare, from rising costs to a lack of choice, has plagued many people across the state.

“There are already far too many families who are struggling just to make ends meet, while also straining to deal with the ever-increasing uncertainty in our healthcare system,” Dold said. “(Wednesday’s) punishing cost increases will put affordable, quality care further out of reach for even more people. Going forward, I remain focused on working with everyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work needed to drive down costs, increase access to quality care and make our healthcare system work for everyone.”

Hultgren said that it is difficult to estimate the damage higher health plan rates will do to Illinoisans who are already struggling to afford insurance plans.

“This news demonstrates a critical failure in the law which no longer provides the affordable health care or access it promised,” Hultgren said. “We are now witnessing the monopolization of health insurance in Illinois — a devastating reality for many of my constituents who have no choice but to pay exorbitant premiums, drug costs and copays for coverage chosen for them by a failed law and a broken market. It’s clear now that there is no ceiling on premium costs and deductibles under the Affordable Care Act.”

Legislators from both parties must come forward to immediately fix the healthcare law’s fundamental problems, Hultgren said.

“Since I took office in 2011, I have been committed to finding more affordable free market alternatives to the ACA,” Hultgren added. “That’s why I continue to push my bill, the State Health Care Options Act, H.R. 3352, which would give states like Illinois immediate and real access to the ACA’s existing innovation waiver, granting them an immediate parachute off the daunting cost increases, smaller plan networks and an increasingly limited state exchange market.”

Kinzinger, meanwhile, said that Wednesday’s announcement proves what he has said before – the ACA is not working for Illinois families.

“These rate increases will further devastate families working to afford health insurance, and will put a greater burden on those struggling to make ends meet,” Kinzinger said. “With a limited health insurance market and increasingly high premiums, the so-called ‘affordable care’ that was promised to so many is now even farther out of reach for folks here in Illinois and across the country.”