Video & Transcript Research : 'premium stabilization'
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NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Feb 17th, 2026 at 08:07 am
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- ... ...I've talked to say that over the same years, those pay raises were less than the insurance premium
- And if you look at a 1% pay increase and a 10% premium increase, the 10% premium... ...increase would
- reserves, 25% of The reserves are in—we used to call it the Larian Lariaga Fund, but it's in tax stabilization
- If health insurance premiums increase by 10, you're not losing 10% of your budget; you're actually still
Keywords:
general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- Looking at giving them some more stability, you know, because they're not only volunteer firefighters
- But I think we've got to do something to give them some help and give them some more stability, even
- Give them some more stability, even if it comes to the point that we look at more funding for them to
- made from the salary of state employees for membership dues, voluntary contributions, and insurance premiums
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (02/17/2026)
Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- /c> measures promote stability, improve measures promote stability, improve communication,<00:58:02.799
- on premiums, crushed on premiums, okay?
- Therefore, there should be no upward pressure on premiums.
- Therefore, there should be no upward pressure on premiums.
- . premiums. premiums.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- <01:10:00.320>
our <01:10:00.480>hospital are we going to stabilize our hospital are - we going to stabilize our hospital industries<01:10:01.800>
across <01:10:02.360>the <01 - Uh, ensuring the stability of our health care safety net is a critical issue in the quality of life of
- I do hear the concerns from our labor unions about increasing premiums because we are trying to hold
- who can barely afford their premiums. who can barely afford their premiums.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Hearing Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services and Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance Apr 23rd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- In order to staff these hours, providers often have to pay their assistants a premium price to ensure
- In order to staff these hours, providers often have to pay their assistants a premium price to ensure
- We need stability so we can continue care.
- We need stability so we can continue care. ...simply can’t afford to stay. We need time.
- We need stability so we can continue caring for the children who count on us every single day.
Summary:
The joint hearing focused on California’s child care, preschool, and transitional kindergarten oversight, with chairs emphasizing the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the need to break down silos between programs. CDSS and CDE reported progress toward the plan’s goals, including universal access to TK for all four-year-olds next school year, expanded access for low-income three-year-olds, and more children with disabilities being served in state preschool. They also noted ongoing work on quality rating/review reform, funding structure changes, and the need to address rates, workforce shortages, and federal uncertainty around Head Start.
Testimony from advocacy groups and providers largely supported expanding access while simplifying the system. Children Now, Every Child California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that California still has uneven access, especially for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, and urged investments in mixed delivery, inclusion, full-day options, and a cost-of-care rate methodology. Every Child California recommended consolidating part-day and full-day contracts, streamlining eligibility priorities, making the two-year-old option permanent, and funding staffing incentives. Parent testimony highlighted how child care gaps and county-to-county transfer delays can disrupt work, safety, and children’s stability, and providers described low reimbursement rates, the need for health and retirement benefits, and support for delinking subsidy rates from private pay.
The second panel addressed universal transitional kindergarten. The Learning Policy Institute reported rapid TK expansion, with most districts now offering TK, but said access still depends on facilities, staffing, and whether programs are available at all school sites. The Department of Finance said the governor’s budget would fully implement TK by adding funding for all eligible four-year-olds and lowering the adult-to-child ratio from 12:1 to 10:1. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration’s enrollment and cost assumptions were optimistic and estimated lower TK enrollment growth and lower costs for the ratio change. CDE supported the expansion and urged continued funding for UPK coordinators, teacher development, and mixed-delivery planning grants. Members questioned facilities shortages, staffing competition, and how to ensure TK expansion does not displace CSPP or Head Start classrooms. No formal votes or actions were taken in the hearing.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature Day 38 Apr 9th, 2026 at 09:30 am
Oklahoma House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- choose that to bring that life into this world, but also protected rainy day fund, things like the stabilization
- Take money out of this fund the way we did out of the Revenue Stabilization Fund.
- the firefighters and police pensions, where they're getting a direct subsidy from the insurance premiums
Keywords:
education funding, mental health services, public safety, housing, state budget, tax credit, parental choice, private school, income tax, dental insurance, health care, medical necessity, insurance claims, dentist rights, military discharge, veterans, DD Form 214, confidentiality, grandchildren access, veteran burial
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Senate Health and Human Services (02/11/2026)
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- strain, and provide meaningful stability strain, and provide meaningful stability for<01:38:06.880
- <02:47:23.520>
with So, we were ultimately stabilized with So, we were ultimately stabilized - We're going to be hearing about increased premiums, increased costs.
- increased premiums, increased costs. increased premiums, increased costs.
- ,<03:03:51.359>
inhome including crisis stabilization, inhome including crisis stabilization
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services May 21st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- This trauma-informed program has helped stabilize placements and improve outcomes.
- Jackson about potentially finding a stabilizing solution for FFAs and finally on the IHSS program we're
- I oppose any obligation channel changes including the assets dollar premium.
- And then we'll also highlight two items that we see as particularly vital for stabilizing the system.
- Which undermines consistent messaging and stability for children and families. limited to changing the
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee 1/23/25
Human Services Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Plans pay a 1% premium tax that goes into the healthcare access fund and a 3.5% premium assessment that
- We should all be working to lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs, not increasing them through more
- 37.159>
1% to the HMO search charge plans pay a 1% to the HMO search charge plans pay a 1% premium - assessment that helps fund mure premium assessment that helps fund mure combined<00:30:45.159>
with - and out-of- pocket costs lower premiums and out-of- pocket costs not<00:31:40.960>
increasing
Summary:
The House Committee on Human Services Finance and Policy met to approve prior minutes and then take public testimony on the governor’s budget recommendations for human services. The chair explained the hearing format and noted that DHS declined to testify. Much of the testimony focused on proposed reductions or caps affecting disability waiver services, nursing homes, and elderly waiver programs, as well as related fee and tax changes in the budget.
Representatives of ARM argued that the governor’s proposal would cap inflationary adjustments at 2%, limit rate exceptions, cap billable days, and restrict individualized home supports, which they said would worsen workforce shortages, reduce wages for direct support professionals, and destabilize disability services. They said the package would cut about $600 million over four years and could lead to group home closures, higher turnover, and families losing access to local homes and services. Committee members asked about real-world impacts and future rate adjustments, and ARM responded that providers have already planned around expected 2026 rates, so a cap would create immediate budget and staffing problems.
Long-Term Care Imperative testified against nursing home-related cuts, saying the budget would cap future rate increases, limit health insurance costs in rate setting, phase out closure-related agreements and incentives, and fail to fully fund the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board. They estimated the nursing home provisions could amount to a $218 million cut over four years, or roughly $350 million when combined with other underfunding, and said every nursing home and bed in Minnesota would be affected. They also criticized the lack of an inflation factor in Elderly Waiver, a proposed 54% increase in assisted living fees, and possible changes to provider-assessed fine and penalty funds. Members asked about staffing and bed availability, and the testifiers said reduced funding would likely force more beds out of service.
A later testifier, Dan Andre of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, raised concerns about the DHS budget’s proposed increase in the HMO surcharge and about carving pharmacy and non-emergency medical transportation benefits out of managed care. He argued the tax increase would raise premiums for fully insured and Medicare supplement enrollees and that managed care coordination helps members access care and medications. The hearing also included one unrelated, disruptive testimony about the Minnesota Sex Offender Program and other agencies, which the chair redirected back to the human services budget. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving testimony.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Nov 7th, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- But the largest drivers for the increases requested are backfilling the group insurance premiums that
- That money is currently locked up either in the operating reserve or the tax stabilization reserve.
- Madam Chair and Representative Herndon, so now we are paying 80% of the premiums for state employees.
- Of the premiums for state employees, and again that doesn't include those under public education employees
- a hundred thousand or whatever, I don't remember what the tiers were, then you would get a lower premium
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
06/10/2026 - House Republican Caucus Calendar #25
Transcript Highlights:
- specifies that the Legislature is not required to appropriate or transfer monies to or from the Budget Stabilization
- We have more money in the savers account of the Budget Stabilization Fund than statute says we can, so
- important technical thing for the state we have more money in the savers account of the budget stabilization
- Madam Chair, members, House Bill 4167 continues session law that sets FY 2027 capital outlay stabilization
- corporate income tax credit for pollution control equipment, the individual corporate and insurance premium
Summary:
The meeting covered a series of fiscal year 2027 budget and budget-related bills, beginning with the general appropriations and tax package. Staff and the chair highlighted a budget built around about $1.4 billion in tax cuts, a one-time 2.5% agency reduction, major funding for state employee health insurance, corrections, flood and wildfire relief, and other supplemental appropriations. The chair repeatedly urged support for the package, emphasizing the size of the tax cut and noting that the committee’s joint vote had only three no votes out of 28 members.
Members then reviewed several smaller budget implementation bills affecting racing and gambling, capital outlay, commerce and defense innovation, corrections, environment and water policy, higher education, human services, K-12 education, county finance, tax administration, state data governance, and state office rent rates. Key provisions included extending or modifying funds and fee structures, transferring surplus or unneeded monies, creating or revising oversight boards and pilot programs, increasing K-12 funding by 2% for inflation, adjusting university retention limits, expanding SNAP and housing-related requirements, and changing tax conformity and credits. Several members asked clarifying questions about specific items such as electric vehicle charging funds, mobile home relocation payments, university funding, and the new health insurance oversight board.
The chair also explained the tax bill’s major changes, including conformity to federal tax law, a larger dependent tax credit, changes to deductions, repeal of certain tax credits, veteran property tax relief, limits on data center tax incentives, and provisions affecting manufacturing infrastructure and unemployment insurance administration. The committee discussed the Budget Stabilization Fund, debt repayment, and education rollover balances, with the chair arguing for using surpluses to pay down debt. The final item discussed was a behavioral health bill creating a home and community-based services program for adults determined to be seriously mentally ill, with a stated FY 2027 total fund appropriation of $7.8 million contingent on federal approval and matching funds. The meeting ended with a reminder that floor action would begin the next day at 10 a.m.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 27th, 2025
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- We have really worked hard to stabilize the office. I inherited an office with a 40% vacancy rate.
- The community college is stabilized.
- with FY25, whereas the executive recommendation increases personnel costs to cover new insurance premium
- The LFC recommendation allows for the office to fill vacancies and covers new insurance premium rates
- I'd like to know what that looks like in terms of risk versus stability, Mr. Chair.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services (01/20/2026)
Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services
Transcript Highlights:
- This provides the stability of vanish.
- <04:38:49.920>
It <04:38:50.240>is stability that works for them. - It is stability that works for them.
- use those dollars to pay those premiums use those dollars to pay those premiums whether<05:01:31.440
- <05:36:42.160>
get going to play into how the premiums get going to play into how the premiums
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee May 5th, 2026
Utilities and Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- What is that additional premium that we've had?
- So this would be a gasoline-stabilizing floating tax.
- So this would be a gasoline-stabilizing floating tax.
- How do we stabilize prices and supply, not only just around the Valero closing, ...given, how do we stabilize
- Protect system stability.
Summary:
The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on California’s petroleum supply and price volatility amid the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Committee members and administration witnesses focused first on short-term supply conditions: the California Energy Commission said crude and refined-product imports were still arriving at healthy levels, West Coast inventories were generally adequate, and there was no expected near-term supply shortfall, though diesel inventories were tighter than gasoline or jet fuel. Officials said California’s reliance on imports has grown as in-state refining capacity has declined, and they described ongoing work to track import flows, inventories, refinery outages, and pricing.
The Division of Petroleum Market Oversight said the conflict was driving real price increases, but also highlighted California’s persistent branded-gasoline premium and unusually wide station-to-station price dispersion. DPMO reported that some major-brand stations were charging far above the statewide average, that several outlier stations reduced prices after contact from the division, and that investigations and subpoenas were ongoing. Professor Severin Borenstein argued that while crude oil is a global price driver, much of California’s higher retail price gap is a downstream “mystery gasoline surcharge,” not explained by crude costs alone, and he said the state should focus on imports, port and storage capacity, and competition rather than expecting refinery subsidies or an E15 blend to solve the problem.
Industry and labor witnesses took different positions on the causes and solutions. The Western States Petroleum Association said state policy had weakened California’s refining system, making it more dependent on long, fragile supply chains and vulnerable to global shocks, and urged the state to protect remaining refining capacity and reduce regulatory burdens. United Steelworkers Local 675 emphasized that refinery reliability and staffing matter for market stability. Members pressed witnesses on whether California should set fuel-supply targets, how to prepare beyond the next six weeks, whether more import dependence increases risk, and what additional data or authority the state needs. No formal votes or actions were taken during the hearing.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- The bill sets minimum and stability.
- <01:27:42.560>
that hope that through the the premiums that hope that through the the premiums - need to ensure that there's stability. need to ensure that there's stability.
- And this isn't me stating stability.
- <01:56:23.360>
of methodology to maintain the stability of methodology to maintain the stability
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
EEP Public Hearing - Tue Mar 11, 2025 @ 9:00 AM HST
Energy & Environmental Protection
Transcript Highlights:
- Yeah, because the way that I'm able to defend this to my constituents is for the sake of stability of
- of heo and and the sake of stability of heo and and also<00:23:56.840>
um <00:23:57.600>the - <01:01:14.720>
for <01:01:14.920>selling <01:01:15.319>renewable want a premium - for selling renewable want a premium for selling renewable electricity<01:01:18.079>
or <01:01 - That's not healthy for the grid, and the utility typically pays a premium both for evening energy and
Summary:
The committee on Energy and Environmental Protection heard testimony on Senate Bill 897, which would create a Wildlife Liability Trust Fund within DCCA for administrative purposes. The chair opened by noting the hearing had to end by noon because of floor session, and that written testimony would be considered if not all witnesses could speak. Testimony included support from DCCA, the Attorney General’s office, the Public Utilities Commission, Charter Communications, Ulupono Initiative, AES Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric, Clearway Energy Group, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, Hawaiian Telcom, and IBW Local 1260, with opposition or concerns from the Hawaii Association for Justice and some others. Hawaiian Electric strongly supported the bill and asked for amendments, saying the fund would help address wildfire liability, protect customers and the economy, and support restoration of investment-grade credit; it also proposed a larger shareholder contribution and said the bill was part of a broader effort to raise settlement funds and improve grid safety and resiliency.
Committee members focused heavily on whether the bill would actually lower costs for ratepayers and improve credit ratings. DCCA said there was a nexus between limiting liability, creating a sufficiently large wildfire fund, and transparent mitigation requirements, but acknowledged there was no guarantee of a credit-rating improvement or precise estimate of rate impacts. Members questioned Hawaiian Electric about the assumptions in its cost comparisons, the 30-year securitization structure, and whether funding could be shifted later to shareholders after credit was restored. Hawaiian Electric responded that the bill assumes the fund is paid through securitization, that removing that presumption could undermine the credit-rating benefit, and that its models suggest credit-spread savings could offset the customer charge over time; it also said it would follow up with additional analysis. The company and Ulupono both described the measure as a difficult but potentially necessary way to socialize wildfire risk and avoid a larger crisis later.
The Hawaii Association for Justice opposed the bill’s liability caps and raised concerns about consumer rights, oversight discretion, statute-of-limitations changes, and evidence rules. Hawaiian Telcom suggested amendments to clarify compliance with FCC pole-attachment agreements. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided, and members indicated they wanted more analysis before being comfortable with the bill’s long-term ratepayer impacts.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- for more than 300 new pay slots, and $27.8 million for Florida Healthy Kids, combined risk model premium
- because they have told their contracted processor not to pay premiums for the month of March.
- And failure to pay your health care premium will result in a notice of termination of your insurance
- for non-payment of premium.
- And so, you know, if the health department has told the vendor in February not to pay March's premiums
Bills:
S2500, S2502, S2504, S7028, S2506, S2508, S2510, S2512, S2514, S2516, S2518, S0482, S0678, S0984, S1016, S1074, S1706, S7030
Keywords:
budget, appropriation, education funding, healthcare, environmental protection, infrastructure, local government, Appropriations Act, funding, education, rural development, economic assistance, collective bargaining, state employees, labor relations, impasse resolution, negotiations, retirement, elected officials, Deferred Retirement Option Program
Summary:
The committee heard presentations on the Senate’s proposed 2026-2027 budget, SPB 2500, with chairs outlining major spending in K-12 education, higher education, health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/tourism/economic development, and agriculture/environment/general government. Highlights included a $115 billion overall budget, pay raises for state employees and public safety workers, major K-12 funding increases and enrollment supplements, higher education workforce and nursing investments, expanded Medicaid/KidCare and behavioral health funding, corrections and law enforcement operational funding, transportation and housing investments, and significant environmental and water quality spending. Members asked about civic education funding, declining enrollment, professor retention, APD waiver waitlists, cultural grant allocations, and other line items. Public testimony also addressed HIV/AIDS drug assistance funding and prison air conditioning. SPB 2500 was adopted as a committee bill after amendment consideration and a roll call vote.
The committee then took up implementing and related budget bills, including SPB 2502 (implementing the General Appropriations Act), SPB 2504 (state employee bargaining placeholder), SB 7028 (Florida Retirement System contribution rates and related retirement changes), SPB 2506 (fuel tax distributions), SPB 2508 (state agency law enforcement radio system surcharge), SPB 2510 (termination of an unused court trust fund), SPB 2512 (new judgeships), SPB 2514 (K-12 conforming changes), SPB 2516 (higher education conforming changes), and SPB 2518 (health conforming changes). Most were explained as technical or conforming measures tied to the budget, and all were reported favorably as committee bills, with SB 7028 amended to direct a portion of increased contributions to disability and line-of-duty death benefits in the FRS investment plan.
The committee also heard and passed several member bills, including CS for SB 1074 on rounding rules for cash transactions in a world without pennies, CS for SB 678 restoring the alcohol loss deduction framework for distributors, and SB 964 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention. SB 964 drew the most discussion, with questions about the one-year death-benefit window, the separate $25,000 cancer diagnosis payment, and whether the bill could create gaps in coverage for firefighters diagnosed or dying just outside the new time limits. Firefighter representatives testified in support, saying the bill would provide clearer protections for members and families. All of these measures were reported favorably.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Health and Human Services - 04/09/26
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- But too often, stabilize their lives.
- It gave me stability, dignity, help.
- It gave me stability, has saved my life. It gave me stability, dignity,<00:18:40.560>
help. - uh premium payer and the doctor. uh premium payer and the doctor.
- to the stability of our healthcare<01:34:57.760>
system.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
Senate Finance Budget Briefing (06/10/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- HHS granted advantage premium decrease. These are the Medicaid premiums, the Medicaid co-pays.
- That ended up costing the Senate about $7 million in premium revenue from the House and the governor
- next two years, the Senate proposes to put a portion into the general fund. about $7 million in um premium
- revenue about $7 million in um premium revenue uh<00:37:04.640>
from <00:37:04.880>the - It deletes a provision stability.
Summary:
The Legislative Budget Assistant staff presented an overview of the Senate changes to the House-passed budget, focusing on revenue estimates, appropriations, and ending balances across the general fund and education trust fund. The presentation emphasized that the Senate’s budget reflected higher revenue assumptions than the House, driven in part by updated April revenue figures, changes to business, tobacco, and real estate transfer tax splits, and different assumptions about video lottery terminal revenue. The Senate also adjusted lapse estimates upward, especially for HHS, after receiving updated information that lapses could be much larger than originally assumed.
The presenter walked through the major differences in the surplus statements for fiscal years 2025 through 2027. Compared with the House, the Senate budget generally showed higher revenues, lower or different appropriations in some areas, and larger balances carried forward, including a larger education trust fund balance and a different rainy day fund transfer. The Senate’s approach also changed several policy assumptions, such as maintaining liquor revenue dedication, removing the House’s meals-and-rooms distribution cap, changing the treatment of unique revenue, and altering the process for meeting a targeted revenue amount by giving the governor more flexibility.
On the appropriations side, the Senate removed or modified several House reductions and added funding or adjustments in areas including the judicial branch, corrections, HHS, the Human Rights Commission, and certain settlement costs. The presenter also highlighted Senate changes in House Bill 2 and related budget provisions, including a new arts tax credit, a nursing home bed fee, changes to Medicaid premium assumptions, and differences in how motor vehicle inspection repeal and BLT-related revenue are handled. No votes were taken in the portion shown; the discussion was informational and comparative, aimed at explaining the Senate budget changes before conference committee negotiations.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Friday, December 12, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Congress must restore electoral stability to enhance trust.
- <00:13:42.560>
With stability to enhance trust. With stability to enhance trust. - Insurance premiums have as a mean.
- Even with PBMs, it will raise premiums. Right.
- Even with PBMs, it will raise premiums. premiums. premiums.