At the hearing, Deputy Superintendent Oechsner released an explosive report that documented the need to amend state law to restore the government’s ability to pre-approve (“prior approval”) insurance premium hikes.  Next the industry was up.   

As the picture above shows, industry executives initially refused to reveal  their presentation to the audience.  After catcalls, and eventually intervention by the Committee Chairman, industry representatives eventually turned their presentation boards so that the audience could see them too.

Read testimony in favor of restoring prior approval:
Altaf Rahamatulla, Center for Working Families
Bob Cohen, Citizen Action of New York
Donna Packard-Mahoney, League of Women Voters of NYS
Elisabeth Benjamin, Health Care For All New York
Ellena Bennet, Consumer
Heidi Siegfried, Center for the Independence of the Disabled
Mark Hannay, MetroNY Health Care For All Campaign
Mark Scherzer, New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage

Read the industry testimony here:
Jeffrey Gold, Healthcare Association of NYS
Mark Wager, President & CEO,  Empire BlueCross BlueShield