Maine Lawmakers Ask Congress to Investigate Anthem Rate Hike Request
February 12, 2010
Democratic legislative leaders are asking a congressional committee to broaden its investigation into Anthem’s request for a rate hike in California to include the company’s request for a similar hike in Maine.
Maine Democratic legislative leaders are asking a congressional committee to broaden its investigation into Anthem Wellpoint’s proposed rate hikes in California to include Anthem’s request for similar rate increases in Maine.
Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree and Senate President Libby Mitchell, along with York County Sen. Peter Bowman and Hallowell Rep. Sharon Treat, co-chairs of the Legislature’s Insurance and Financial Services Committee, made the request today in a letter to Congressmen Henry Waxman and Bart Stupak.
Waxman chairs the Committee on Energy and Stupak chairs the Energy Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
“At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet Anthem is asking for huge rate increases to pad their profits. If ever there has been an argument for health care reform, this is it,” Pingree says in a statement.
Last spring, Maine Insurance Superintendent Mila Koffman denied Anthem’s proposed 18 percent rate hike, approving instead a 10.9 increase. Anthem is currently appealing that decision in court.
Meanwhile, the company last month submitted another request for a 23 percent rate increase for its individual policies.
Mitchell says Anthem should be forced to explain “why they continue to escalate their profits at a time when millions of people cannot afford coverage.”
Waxman and Stupak have scheduled a hearing on Anthem’s California rate hike request for February 24 at 10:00 am.
