Tennesseans who purchase health insurance in the individual market are getting hammered by the highest price increases in the nation

Last week, open enrollment began on HealthCare.gov, which means that thousands of Tennesseans are making decisions about what their health insurance will be next year. Tennesseans who purchase insurance in the individual market—those who don’t get insurance on the job or from the government— could see an average premium increase of as much as 58 percent this year, and that’s on top of 176 percent increase over the last four years. Tennessee faces the highest increase in the nation. Premiums will have increased from $161 a month for a typical plan in 2014, to more than $610 a month in 2018. Because of these skyrocketing premiums, too many Tennesseans find themselves without a way to purchase health insurance. Tennesseans are also seeing their plans disappear – there was an average of 59 health plans to choose from when the exchanges opened in 2014, but Tennesseans will have just six choices on average in 2018.

This is because of the way Obamacare was written.

We have a plan to change that. Senator Murray, a Democrat from Washington, and I are among 24 United States senators—half Republican, half Democrat—who have recommended to Congress and President Trump that we pass a bill that will lower prices and give Tennesseans rebates in 2018, and will begin to lower the price of insurance in 2019. And in addition to that, our bill will give the state of Tennessee more authority to offer a variety of choices at lower prices. There will also be a new policy called the catastrophic policy, which will have a lower premium and a higher deductible, and you can use that to help make sure that a medical catastrophe doesn’t turn into a financial catastrophe.

Last Wednesday, the first day of open enrollment, I also released an analysis with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on the status of Obamacare—another year of higher costs, fewer health insurance options, and increased taxpayer burden. Read more here on how Obamacare has failed to live up to its promises since day one.

Last Tuesday, I talked on the Senate floor about a recent Wall Street Journal article that notes that Americans without subsidies “may be responsible for the full brunt of steep rate increases” under Obamacare. I said in my speech that hardworking Tennesseans—not insurance companies—are the ones hurt by congressional inaction on Obamacare’s cost-sharing reduction payments.

I also sat down recently with A.B. Stoddard to talk about health care and how under the Alexander-Murray bill, $3.1 billion will be rebated to taxpayers, with billions more in rebates to consumers. You can read more and watch our interview here.  

Taking a critical step towards enacting tax reform

You don’t need to be an accountant to know that our tax code is too complicated, takes too many dollars away from Tennesseans and makes it harder to create good-paying jobs. Last week, the House tax-writing committee released draft tax reform legislation. This was a critical step toward enacting tax reform this year and I look forward to reviewing their proposal. I will continue working with President Trump, Chairman Hatch, and my colleagues in the House and Senate to help create a simpler and fairer pro-growth tax system that will keep more money in Tennesseans’ pockets and grow Tennessee jobs.

Introducing State Senator Mark Norris at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee

Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of introducing Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris at his confirmation hearing to be a U.S. District Judge for Tennessee’s Western District. He has been an advocate and a champion for federalism and for the separation of powers. He is a citizen, a lawyer, and a legislator. In my opinion, Senator Norris will be a tremendous asset to the federal bench. Tennessee is fortunate President Trump has nominated such a well-qualified nominee.

Confirming four fair-minded judges to U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals

Last week, I voted to confirm four circuit court judges, including Joan Louise Larsen, who will serve on the Sixth Circuit, which includes Tennessee. The Circuit Courts are the final step before a case reaches the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court hears less than five percent of the appeals requested, so it is important that we have fair judges who will decide cases based on the law and not their personal opinions. These four judges confirmed last week are eminently well-qualified. They include former Supreme Court clerks, constitutional law professors, and State Supreme Court Justices. President Trump has made excellent judicial nominations, and one of the most important jobs of the Senate is to confirm those nominees.

U.S. Education Department to weed out 600 pieces of old and unnecessary guidance

On October 27, the U.S. Education Department announced it was withdrawing nearly 600 out-of-date pieces of sub-regulatory guidance. This is exactly what most Americans think Washington, D.C., should do. Everyone in Washington has a new idea for education—and each administration uses its power to pile new ideas on top of old. But, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, instead has taken the time to weed out old guidance for the benefit and clarity of our colleges and universities and schools and school districts. The Senate education committee is beginning its work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, and Secretary DeVos has given us exactly the right approach: Let’s weed the garden before we plant a new crop.

The Senate honors our nation’s nuclear weapons workers

On Monday, October 30, 2017,  the Senate passed a resolution designating the day as the ninth annual National Day of Remembrance to honor the contributions of Tennesseans and others around the country who helped develop and support the nation’s nuclear weapons efforts during the Cold War. Ten of thousands of Tennesseans who didn’t serve in the heat of battle served in the laboratory, where they worked with hazardous materials to build and maintain our country’s nuclear defense. We honor these Tennesseans and those all around the country who have quietly sacrificed for our safety and freedom.

Reducing administrative burden so doctors can spend more time with patients

According to a study funded by the American Medical Association, for every hour a doctor spends with patients they spend two hours on electronic health records (EHRs) and desk work. Last week, I joined several other senators in introducing the EHR Regulatory Relief Act that will help reduce the regulatory burden doctors and hospitals have faced under the Meaningful Use program, so they can instead focus on treating patients.

Last year, I included several provisions in the 21st Century Cures Act to make it easier for patients to access their health records and for doctors and hospitals to get the information they need to treat patients. Last Tuesday, I chaired a Senate health committee hearing to hear how implementation of these provisions is going. In order to take advantage of the breathtaking advances in biomedical research, it is essential that electronic health records systems work properly. 

Getting electronic health records out of the ditch is critical to the future of medical innovation, and the EHR Regulatory Relief Act, along with the provisions that we passed in Cures, will help doctors spend more time with their patients and less time on administrative tasks.

Here are some articles from last week I thought you would enjoy:

The Tennessean: Sen. Lamar Alexander: 'Prospects are good' for bipartisan Obamacare fix 

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Alexander hopes Congress restores insurer subsidies to limit premium hikes 

Citizen Tribune: Lamar Alexander talks open enrollment 

Drive through Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains.

-          #185 in Lamar Alexander’s Little Plaid Book