latimes.com/business/la-fi-anthem10-2010feb10,0,2234973.story
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Congress opens probe into Anthem Blue Cross rate increases
Two House panels announce they are investigating the hikes, which take
effect March 1. Lawmakers ask the company's CEO to explain the reasons for the
increases.
By Duke Helfand
February 10, 2010
Congress opened an investigation Tuesday into Anthem Blue Cross' impending
rate increases in California as President Obama cited the premium hikes -- some
as high as 39% -- in his bid to pass national healthcare legislation.
The
House Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations announced they were examining the increases, which are set to
take effect March 1. The subcommittee has scheduled a Feb. 24 hearing in
Washington, while an Assembly committee in Sacramento has set a hearing for Feb
23.
"Reports of premium increases up to 39% are deeply troubling," Rep.
Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), who chairs the energy committee, said in a
statement. "At a time when millions of Americans are struggling to keep their
health insurance, we need to know what possible justification there could be for
increases of this magnitude."
Anthem of Woodland Hills is the state's
largest for-profit insurer and a unit of Indianapolis health insurance giant
WellPoint Inc. A WellPoint spokeswoman said the company was reviewing a request
by Waxman and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of the subcommittee, for
Chief Executive Angela F. Braly to testify before the subcommittee.
At
issue are increases in monthly premiums for many of Anthem's estimated 800,000
customers with individual health insurance policies who are not part of group
coverage.
Anthem began informing individual policyholders last month that
prices would go up March 1 and could be adjusted "more frequently" than typical
yearly increases.
The company would not say how high the rates could go
or how many customers would be affected. Brokers and policyholders said many of
the anticipated increases were 30% to 39%, the largest they could recall. The
brokers said other insurers also were raising rates by double
digits.
Anthem maintains that its increases are necessary to meet growing
healthcare costs, even as it voices sympathy for policyholders whose premiums
are rising. The company has said that it is striving to solve the
problem.
"We are engaging with a broad range of key stakeholders across
California to discuss the state's individual insurance market and share ideas on
how we can collectively partner on meaningful change," the company said in a
statement Monday.
On Tuesday, Democrats in Congress and the state
Legislature followed California's Republican insurance commissioner, who on
Monday asked Anthem to reevaluate its increases. Commissioner Steve Poizner
called on the company to delay its hikes until May 1 while a state-appointed
independent actuary evaluates them.
U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
asked state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown to investigate. In an interview, Brown said,
"We are actively pursuing this matter," adding that his office was trying to
determine whether state law on unfair business practices applies in this
case.
Meanwhile, Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento), chairman of the
Assembly's health committee, called on Anthem to rescind the increases and
announced plans to hold a Feb. 23 hearing to examine Anthem and other California
health insurers.
President Obama told reporters in Washington on Tuesday
that Anthem's rate hikes highlighted the need for healthcare reform.
"If
we don't act, this is just a preview of coming attractions," Obama said.
"Premiums will continue to rise for folks with insurance; millions more will
lose their coverage altogether; our deficits will continue to grow larger. And
we have an obligation -- both parties -- to tackle this issue in a serious
way."
The insurance industry's Washington-based lobbying arm, America's
Health Insurance Plans, said carriers were not to blame for the swift expansion
of healthcare costs. The group said the price of hospital care, prescription
drugs and doctors was propelling the largest growth in healthcare spending, as a
share of the nation's total economic output, since the government began keeping
track half a century ago.
The national association also said that rising
premiums were driven by burgeoning numbers of uninsured who rely on expensive
emergency room services and by employers that are cutting health benefits in a
still-sputtering economy.
duke.helfand@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times