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Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #1

Tuesday, February 10, 2026·1h 55m·▶ Watch / Listen

Virginia's Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #1 advanced multiple health insurance and consumer protection bills while carrying over two contested measures — a mental health reimbursement rate floor (HB 763) and a long-term care insurance premium cap (HB 997) — to 2027, citing uncharted regulatory territory and solvency concerns raised by the State Corporation Commission.

Key Actions

·HB 997 – Long-Term Care Insurance Premium Rate LimitsNo Vote

+ 10 more actions

Controversies

HB 997 – Long-term care insurance premium rate cap and solvency risk

JJ Singh argued 'we might say that we've enabled the SEC to bail out bad underwriting practices from three or four decades ago' and moved to carry the bill over, while Matt Peterman (a policyholder) argued 'this bill does not cut insurer revenue. It simply ensures that approved increases are delivered gradually and predictably.' Dan Bumpus (Bureau of Insurance, SCC) confirmed that a cumulative rate cap 'is a concern that we have both in the short term' and 'in the long term,' and that initial pricing 'would certainly go north' under a cap. Patrick Cushing (American Council of Life Insurers) cited three carrier insolvencies nationally that affected 6,000 Virginians.

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“This is an example of one policy that my constituent, who had it, who had it since 2006. So 2017, it went up 29%. 2020 went up 33%. In 2023, it went up 40%. 2025, 497%. 2026, 764%. To give you an idea about how these numbers are improving or improving, increasing. And to put that in dollar figures, the annual Premium for from 2006 on was $2,049. By 2024, it was $4,952. 2025, it increased to $10,192. And then the increase this year is up to $15,675.”

Holly M. Seibold (bill sponsor, HB 997) — Seibold was presenting constituent data on long-term care insurance premium increases to argue for HB 997, which would impose guardrails on how quickly such premiums can rise.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Report HB 1276 with substitutePassed
Report HB 1400 (maternal mental health screenings)Passed
Carry over HB 997 (long-term care insurance premium limits) to 2027Passed
Carry over HB 763 (mental health reimbursement rates) to 2027Passed
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TranscriptPreview
To start, we're going to do a little bit of administrative cleanup items and we're going to strike a couple of bills at the request of patrons. These will include HB 1253, patron by delegate Glass. HB 1505, patron by delegate Sullivan. HB 1385, patron by delegate Carroll. And HB 1468, patron by delegate Levir Boling. Subject to a voice vote. No. Okay, so you said strike, right? Yes, right there. It's a recorded vote. Let me pause. So let's go ahead and open up the rolls. I can do a block? That's correct. Thank you. Okay, we're going to open up the rolls and take these four in a block. Mr. Mr. Lynn. Clerk Lynn, if you would. Okay, these four bills are stricken from the docket on a vote of 9 to 0. Thank you very much. Alrighty. Second. All right, we're going to take a few folks out of order just because we have some time sensitivities with conflicting committees. So up first we're going to have Delegate Watts. If you would please come forward for your bill, HB 1276. Thank you very much. Madam Chair, I believe council has line amendments to report and it will…
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