{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=18331849-AE30-442C-B888-95F1AB2B20DA", "Fischer Pens Letter to HHS Secretary Burwell on ObamaCare Automatic Enrollment", "2016-10-27", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HASTINGS, Neb. \u2013 U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell expressing strong concern that the agency has enrolled Americans in health care plans they did not choose.\r\nIn the letter to Secretary Burwell, Fischer points out that automatic enrollment could put incredible financial strain on Nebraska families. If Nebraskans visit their previous doctor under the new plan, they could face unaffordable out-of-network charges.\r\n\u201cI write to express strong concern that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has automatically enrolled Americans into health insurance plans they did not choose,\u201d Fischer writes. \u201cThis not only restricts thousands of families in making personal health care decisions, it also threatens to overload insurers, straining a system not designed for this added capacity. I seek a thorough explanation of this decision, including what analysis, if any, was made of its impact on America\u2019s health insurance landscape.\u201d\r\nThe full text of the letter is below. Click here to view it as a PDF.\r\nOctober 27, 2016Sylvia Mathews BurwellSecretaryU.S. Department of Health and Human Services200 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, D.C. 20201\r\nDear Secretary Burwell:\r\nI write to express strong concern that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has automatically enrolled Americans into health insurance plans they did not choose. This not only restricts thousands of families in making personal health care decisions, it also threatens to overload insurers, straining a system not designed for this added capacity. I seek a thorough explanation of this decision, including what analysis, if any, was made of its impact on America\u2019s health insurance landscape.\r\nBy automatically enrolling consumers in health plans they did not choose, HHS took personal health care decisions out of the hands of the American people. In doing so, the federal government disclosed personal financial and health information of Americans without their permission or notice and without granting them the opportunity to opt out of such activity. This is shocking. Further, HHS placed these consumers in a potentially financially disastrous situation. For mistakenly visiting their previous doctor, these enrollees could be hit with unaffordable out-of-network charges. Subsidies cannot be expected to provide enough relief to cover the cost of such a mistake. HHS has jeopardized both the health and welfare of the American people.\r\nFor insurers that have managed to survive in ObamaCare\u2019s Marketplace, this decision raises serious problems. These insurers expected a certain number of enrollees. HHS has added many more. This calls into question whether these insurers will be able to shoulder the burden. I am greatly troubled to hear from my state\u2019s regulator that its input was disregarded, and, even worse, that HHS may be in violation of state law. A similar lack of vision and collaboration resulted in painful consequences for Nebraskans in the failure of CoOportunity.\r\nFrom its beginning, ObamaCare\u2019s unintended consequences have harmed families and taxpayers. As HHS admitted in a brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, ObamaCare premiums climbed by an average of 25 percent this year. Consequently, my constituents, including lower-income families, single parents, and the elderly, are spending dramatically more on health care. This reality is a stark contrast to ObamaCare\u2019s stated goals and promises. It is worsened by HHS\u2019s continued inability to reasonably confront its failures, a bullheadedness that has clearly wasted taxpayer dollars. I believe HHS is repeating its past mistakes now through this automatic enrollment measure. I see little evidence HHS acted with regard for the long-term implications of this maneuver.\u00a0\r\nTherefore, I ask that you please provide the answers to the following questions, or additional information as specified, by December 2, 2016:\r\n \r\nHow many were automatically enrolled in plans they did not choose?\r\nWhat actions were taken to notify those who were automatically enrolled in plans they did not choose?\r\nWhat documentation or analysis did HHS perform on the solvency of insurers that must now provide coverage for automatic enrollees?\r\nWhat documentation or analysis did HHS perform regarding potential violations of state laws?\r\nDid HHS undertake any analysis of fraud, abuse, or waste that has occurred during a special enrollment period? If so, please provide that documentation or analysis.\r\nWhat actions will HHS take to address fraud, abuse, and waste during future special enrollment periods?\r\nWhat percent of automatic enrollees are able to see their previous doctor without facing an out-of-network charge? \r\nWhat options exist for automatic enrollees to terminate coverage?\r\n \r\nThank you for your prompt attention to this matter.\r\nSincerely,\r\nDeb Fischer\r\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=18331849-AE30-442C-B888-95F1AB2B20DA"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5590102411806583, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}