Democratic News

April 1, 2009
Press Release

Key lawmakers are pushing to dramatically escalate U.S. defenses against cyberattacks, crafting proposals that would empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time. The proposals, in Senate legislation that could be introduced as early as today, would broaden the focus of the government’s cybersecurity efforts to include […]

April 1, 2009
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held the second of two full committee hearings on Deceptive Health Insurance Industry Practices – Are Consumers Getting What They Paid For?  These hearings focused on the way that the healthcare industry calculates “usual and customary” reimbursement rates for consumers who choose to receive […]

March 31, 2009
Press Release

Good morning.  This is the second hearing this Committee is holding on so-called "usual, customary, and reasonable" payment practices in the health insurance industry. Last week, we heard from the New York Attorney General’s office, which conducted a year-long investigation into these practices, and we heard from doctors and consumers. Today we’re going to hear […]

March 31, 2009
Press Release

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. insurers who reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo regarding out-of-network reimbursement rates still have to contend with irate U.S. lawmakers who vowed to continue pressing the matter. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., criticized the chief executives of UnitedHealth Group (UHG) and its […]

March 31, 2009
Press Release

Among health insurance CEOs, Stephen Hemsley of UnitedHealth is known for shying from the limelight and rarely submits to press interviews, let alone cross-examination at a congressional committee hearing. So it was something of a star turn when he testified today before the Senate Commerce Committee over whether UnitedHealth and other insurers have systematically underpaid […]

March 31, 2009
Press Release

Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, the West Virginia Democrat who is chairman of the committee on commerce, is holding hearings on whether health insurers have systematically short-changed patients when they use doctors outside of their health plan’s network. As a result of understating the fees charged by out-of-network doctors, the companies are accused of underpaying […]

March 30, 2009
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces the second installment of two full committee hearings on Deceptive Health Insurance Industry Practices – Are Consumers Getting What They Paid For?  These hearings focus on the way that the healthcare industry calculates “usual and customary” reimbursement rates for consumers who choose to […]

March 27, 2009
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement regarding the White House’s announcement on increasing fuel economy standards: “I am encouraged by today’s announcement from the White House that there will be increases in our nations’ fuel economy standards […]

March 26, 2009
Press Release
Good Morning. Today’s hearing is the first of two hearings we are holding to look at a deceptive payment practice that the health insurance industry has gotten away with for the last decade, maybe even longer.
March 26, 2009
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing today on “Deceptive Health Insurance Industry Practices– Are Consumers Getting What They Paid For?” Today was the first of two hearings examining how the health insurance industry reimburses consumers for health care services.  These hearings focus on the way […]