Attorney General William Tong is urging the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) to apply rigorous scrutiny to proposed health insurance rate hikes that could significantly impact more than 224,000 residents. Seven insurers have filed requests for plans in the individual and small group markets, with an average individual rate increase of 17.8% and an average small group hike of 13.1%. These proposed increases mark a steep jump from last year’s 8.3% and 11.9%, respectively.

Tong called the proposed hikes “simply unaffordable” and pledged to analyze each application in detail. “Insurers give us padded applications with vague references to trends that they do not disclose or take any steps to control,” he said, emphasizing that insurers have a responsibility to help reduce healthcare costs rather than shift the burden to consumers.

He criticized insurers for failing to negotiate procedure costs with hospitals and providers, calling it a “broken incentive structure” that drives up prices. While the state passed new legislation this year to give CID more power to limit excessive increases, it won’t take effect until 2027. In the meantime, Tong is pushing for immediate accountability and cost control.