HHS chief touts ties with private insurers

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell on Tuesday touted the government’s strengthened ties to private insurers and again called for their help to improve ObamaCare.

Burwell told a group of insurance company executives on Tuesday that their relationship has been one of her “top priorities.” She added that she met with members of trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) the same afternoon that she officially took over HHS last year.

The HHS chief called on private insurers to help make ObamaCare more affordable by giving customers more plans to pick from in 2015.

“They want your products in more markets, with better deals and more features – and so do we,” she said. She also urged insurance companies to be more open with customers about what is included in their coverage.

“When I travel and meet consumers, these are some of the issues they are most concerned about,” she said. “Consumers want to know if their doctor is in network and whether their medication is covered.”

The private insurance sector has been a crucial ally for the Obama administration as it rolls out its healthcare law. The companies have helped add millions of people to ObamaCare rolls while reaping much of the rewards for the new customers.

Insurance companies also stepped in to help limit the fallout after the disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov in fall 2013, soothing some of the discontent that some companies still harbored over the government’s new regulatory agenda.

Companies had also been under fire during the initial passage of ObamaCare, which had also stirred tension.

Under Burwell’s watch, the administration has already made strides in boosting choice and competition. In the second year of ObamaCare, 25 percent more insurers took part in the marketplace.

Kevin Griffis, the department’s acting assistant secretary for public affairs, told reporters Tuesday that insurance companies have showed their faith in ObamaCare by continuing to add more plans.

“Insurers themselves voted with their feet,” Griffis said on a conference call. “We don’t feel like we’ve had that sort of behavior from insurers if they didn’t feel like they had the right mix.”