News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2012


Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
Health insurance rate hikes in nine states deemed excessive by HHS

Secretary Sebelius calls on insurance companies to drop unreasonable rate hikes

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that health insurance premium increases in nine states have been deemed “unreasonable” under the rate review authority granted by the Affordable Care Act.

"Thanks to the Affordable Care Act consumers are no longer in the dark about their health insurance premiums," said Secretary Sebelius. "Now, insurance companies are required to justify rate increases of 10 percent or higher. It’s time for these companies to immediately rescind these unreasonable rate hikes, issue refunds to consumers or publicly explain their refusal to do so."

Secretary Sebelius also released a new report today showing that, six months after ...Read More Here