Hospitals, insurers and advocates press committee on reinsurance, 340B and prompt payment

Kelsey Prestoer (Wyoming Hospital Association) told the committee that a state application for a section 1332 waiver to operate a reinsurance program is one option to lower individual-market premiums; she said other rural states saw premium reductions of roughly 10–20% after similar programs and that Colorado and Montana operate claims‑cost reinsurance models. Prestoer told members the reinsurance fund is typically funded by a premium tax on insurers that draws federal match and said more than 10,000 consumers had dropped coverage in 2026 to date.

Dirk Dytol of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming urged a data‑driven look at the drivers of premiums and noted that in 2024 roughly 95% of premium dollars paid by his company went to medical charges; he framed affordability as tied to medical-cost drivers rather than insurer administrative margins. Hospital representatives asked the committee to explore shortening insurer prompt-payment timelines — currently up to 45 days in Wyoming law — to 15–21 days to help rural hospitals with cash flow.

Other witnesses recommended reviewing 340B pharmacy program issues and options for pharmacy-policy changes; the committee heard that 340B and other hospital-transparency matters could be contentious and would require broad stakeholder participation.

What’s next: Committee chairs asked the Department of Health and insurers to provide written analyses on potential state reinsurance models, premium impacts, and prompt-payment mechanics for consideration during the interim.