DELAURO APPLAUDS HHS RULES ON INSURANCE RATES

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Education, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement praising the regulation issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today that will ensure proposed health insurance premium increases of more than 10 percent must be reviewed by state or federal officials.

"This regulation will help to prevent health insurance companies from trying to implement outrageous premium increases and take advantage of American consumers. In Connecticut just six months ago, we were fighting Anthem's proposed rate increase of 20 percent—which in today's economy, too many families simply cannot afford. Connecticut Insurance Department stood up to this unfair and unjustified rate increase, and I am pleased that this regulation will help protect Americans across the country in the way we were able to protect those in Connecticut from unjustified and outrageous premiums."