November 14, 2013

Durbin: No Need for Legislation on Cancelled Plans; Administrative Fix Sensible and Addresses the Problem

Washington, D.C. – Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today following the Obama Administration’s announcement that they would allow insurers to offer consumers the option to renew their 2013 health plans in 2014. This would allow a small number of people who received notices that their plans were being cancelled the option to keep their plans for an additional year.

The announcement would also require insurers to notify enrollees that they can purchase coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and they must tell consumers what protections they are giving up to keep the plan they have.

“This decision is sensible and provides the small number of affected consumers with more information and choices about their health care,” Durbin said. “There is no need for a legislative fix for this issue. Instead, Congress should continue to work with the Administration to improve the implementation of the law and redouble our efforts highlighting and explaining what this historic law will mean for 40 million Americans without insurance.”

 

Senator Durbin spoke about these issues on the senate floor today. Video of his remarks can be found here and here