Senate Democrats demand hearings with big health insurance executives

Senate Democrats in leadership on key committees are pushing their GOP counterparts for hearings to question heads of major health insurance companies on the rising costs of healthcare.

Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the ranking Democrats on the finance and health committees, respectively, are turning up the pressure on Republican committee chairmen to hold oversight hearings for powerful insurance executives to get to the bottom of increasing healthcare and insurance expenses. 

The demands are part of a larger effort by Democrats to make healthcare affordability a central issue in the 2026 midterm election season. 

Healthcare accessibility and affordability is a top domestic policy concern for voters, outpacing worries over the economy and inflation, which have held the No. 1 spot in recent years. 

Nearly 85% of Americans said in a Gallup poll published at the end of March that they are at least somewhat worried about healthcare expenses. More