Governor Kathy Hochul today was joined by the Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and leaders in the health care and labor sectors to sound the alarm on the detrimental effects of several healthcare provisions already passed by the House of Representatives in the Republican budget reconciliation bill. These provisions collectively amount to an annual loss of nearly $13.5 billion for New Yorkers and our healthcare sector, jeopardizing healthcare access for millions of New Yorkers and threatening the state’s hospitals and healthcare providers.
“Republicans in Washington have made it abundantly clear that they are determined to dismantle the social safety net that millions of New Yorkers rely on to secure their basic necessities,” Governor Hochul said. “They are specifically targeting essential and life-saving programs such as Medicaid and food stamps with the consequence that everyday Americans will bear the brunt of this attack. I am committed to utilizing litigation and other appropriate tools to safeguard and protect New Yorkers.”
Generally, once a year MVP files for a change to the current premium rates on file for their products based on a review of the adequacy of the rate level. Premiums need to be sufficient to cover all medical and pharmacy claims submitted from covered members, cover the administrative cost of operations, Federal and New York State taxes/assessments levied and New York State statutory reserve requirements.
MVP is proposing a premium rate adjustment effective January 1, 2026. Policyholders will be charged the proposed premium rates upon renewal in 2026 pending New York State’s Department of Financial Services review. There are 13,062 policyholders and 19,125 members currently enrolled in Individual MVP Health Plan, Inc. plans. The proposed premium rate adjustment represents an average increase of 8.00%. Premium changes will vary by plan design.
Premium rates are changing due to the following reasons:
So far, after a 2-month initial delay, the Musk/Trump Regime has been posting updated Medicare enrollment data roughly once per month. We'll see if that continues.
Whether the data posted since January 20, 2025 is accurate or not, I can't say for certain, but at least they're updating it...and so far, at least, I don't see anything in their monthly reports which is setting off any obvious red flags.
In any event, according to the latest report, as of February 2025:
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Fourteen health insurers have requested an average rate change of 21.2% for Washington state's 2026 Individual Health Insurance Market. Insurers base their requested rate changes on assumptions they make about the services their policyholders will use and the cost to deliver that care. The health plans and proposed rate changes are currently under review by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
Wellpoint Washington, Inc. is new to the market and plans to sell in Grays Harbor, King and Spokane counties.
Over the past month or so, as Congressional Republicans have pulled out all the stops in their attempt to ram through their budget bill which would gut Medicaid and ACA exchange enrollment (along with SNAP and numerous other desperately-needed social aid programs), you may have noticed that they keep using an oddly specific talking point:
Mike Johnson: Medicaid Is Not for 29-Year-Old Males Sitting on Their Couches Playing Video Games
Mike Johnson on Medicaid: "What we've talked about is returning work requirements ... you return the dignity of work to young men who need to be out working instead of playing video games all day. We have a lot of fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid."
Welp. House Republicans did indeed follow through with passing their horrific (and disgustingly-titled) "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act which will effectively repeal the bulk of the ACA without officially repealing it, and that's just for starters.
The final vote was 215 - 214, with every Republican except a handful voting for it (and the two who voted against it openly admitted to the NY Times that they would have voted for it if their votes had been needed), and every Democrat voting against it. There were 2 Republican "no" votes...but both of those were only because they wanted the final bill to be even more draconian.
There's so many awful things included in the bill, many of which are of course healthcare-related, and it would take hundreds of blog entries to discuss them all...but I want to focus on one in particular.
I joined Jennifer Taub on her podcast to discuss the House GOP budget bill (aka the #MAGAMassacreBill) and the Trump Regime's all-out assault on the U.S. healthcare system.
For over a decade, State-Based Marketplaces have provided private health coverage to tens of millions of Americans, ensuring their health, well-being, and economic security. The Americans who depend on the Marketplaces include working parents, small business owners, farmers, gig workers, early retirees, and lower and middle-class individuals of all ages, political views, and backgrounds who drive our local economies and make both our rural and urban communities thrive.
The legislation under consideration in the House will severely impact the ability of these millions of Americans to continue to access this coverage and the health and financial security they depend on today. This will make for a sicker, less financially secure American public and strain hospitals and health care providers by increasing uncompensated care.
Advocating for Massachusetts residents and maintaining access to affordable coverage for everyone, the Massachusetts Health Connector on Friday submitted a comment letter to a proposed federal rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The letter focuses on proposals in the federal rule that would impact eligibility and enrollment functions for the Health Connector as well as policies in the larger insurance market. Massachusetts leads the nation in coverage rate, with more than 98 percent of residents covered according to the U.S. Census, and provisions in the rule would make it more difficult for residents to get and maintain coverage, while making coverage more expensive.
