Business
Oregon judge finds Regence rate hike approval followed the law
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 5, 2009
State insurance regulators who signed off on a 26% increase on Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon individual health insurance premiums in 2008 followed the law and applied the correct standards in evaluating the insurers' request, an administrative law judge has ruled.
The plan argued it was losing money on its individual business and needed to raise rates in response.
Subscriber Karen Kirsch challenged the rate increase as "excessive and inequitable," and asked the state's Dept. of Consumer and Business Services' Insurance Division to change its decision.
The review by the administrative law judge was complete in June, but Kirsch appealed to the director of the Dept. of Consumer and Business Services, Cory Streisinger. Streisinger declined to change the decision and issued a final decision upholding the rate increase.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/10/05/bibf1005.htm.
