Congressional leaders are preparing to question top health insurance executives about the rising costs of health care and potential strategies to improve affordability. Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Jason Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, announced that five CEOs from major health insurers have been invited to testify before their respective committees later this month.
In a joint statement, Guthrie and Smith said: "House Republicans are once again left to clean up the mess of Democrats’ flawed policymaking. Instead of temporarily bailing out a failing program utilized by a fraction of the country, we have invited five of the top health insurance company CEOs to testify before our Committees to have a discussion and answer questions about rising costs, the current state of health care affordability, and the role played by large health insurers."
The hearings are scheduled for January 22. The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold its session in the morning, followed by a Ways and Means Committee hearing in the afternoon. Executives expected to appear include Stephen Hemsley (UnitedHealth Group), David Joyner (CVS Health Group), David Cordani (Cigna Health Group), Gail Boudreaux (Elevance Health), and Paul Markovich (Ascendiun).
"This hearing is the first in a series to examine the root causes driving higher health care prices and discuss policies that will lower the cost of care for all Americans," Guthrie and Smith added.
The hearings coincide with an upcoming House vote on legislation concerning enhanced Obamacare subsidies. These subsidies were initially expanded during the pandemic through measures such as the American Rescue Plan Act—a $1.9 trillion stimulus—and later extended under the Inflation Reduction Act until 2025.
There has been debate over these Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs). Supporters argue they help make insurance more affordable, while critics point out findings from oversight bodies like the Government Accountability Office that indicate issues with waste, fraud, and abuse related to these credits. Analysis from organizations such as Paragon Health Institute suggests that expiring premium supports had little effect on overall premiums for 2026.
Republicans recently passed their own measure—the Lower Health Care Premiums for All American Act—which according to Congressional Budget Office estimates would reduce premiums by 11 percent and save $35.6 billion.
"Republicans are committed to making health care more affordable by driving solutions that increase patient choice and competition, root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and put patients back at the center of our health care system," Guthrie and Smith concluded.
