Wisconsin Dems Want Insurance Companies Monitored on Premium Hike

Two Wisconsin Democrats are proposing a bill that would force insurance companies to give consumers 60 days’ notice before a rate increase could be implemented and also force the state Office of the Commissioner of Insurance to hold public hearings if the companies wanted to raise rates over 10%.

State Senator Chris Larson and State Representative Debra Kolste, supporting the Obamacare mandate that forces states to evaluate rate increases of 10% or more, introduced the bill on Thursday. Some Wisconsin Democrats have ripped Gov. Scott Walker’s call for a repeal of Obamacare.

Wisconsin has not rejected rate increases since 2011, when Walker took office.

According to The National Conference of State Legislatures, which reported the ranking of the average premium increases state by state in 2014-15, Wisconsin’s 7% average increase ranked 15th in the country. In 2013, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported the average family premium per enrolled employee for employer-based health insurance for all states, with Wisconsin ranked 9th lowest in the country.