Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade’s controversial refusal to recuse herself from ruling on the Anthem-Cigna insurance merger has provoked a reappraisal of ethics regulators, who heavily rely on the self-reporting of public officials, and an ethics code that may be clearer to lawyers than lovers of English.
Anthem
Posted inHealth, Politics
Comptroller says Wade should recuse herself on Cigna merger
Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo publicly urged Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade on Thursday to recuse herself from Connecticut’s review of the Anthem-Cigna merger, saying even a positive legal ruling from ethics officials would not overcome the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal asks DOJ to stop Aetna-Humana, Anthem-Cigna mergers
WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and six other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to block two proposed mergers involving Connecticut health insurers, Aetna-Humana and Anthem-Cigna.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Aetna-Humana, Anthem-Cigna facing different merger obstacles
WASHINGTON – So far, Aetna appears to be clearing the regulatory and antitrust hurdles it faces to merge with Humana more easily, while Anthem’s proposed marriage to Cigna has faced more troubles. Neither has yet cleared the hurdle of antitrust approval from the U.S. Justice Department.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Ethics panel to rule if Wade has conflict in Anthem-Cigna merger
Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade’s first contact with state ethics officials was to inform them in September why she intended to act on the merger of Anthem and Cigna, not to seek a ruling on whether they saw a potential conflict due to her family’s long association with Cigna. Now, while she’s deep in the review of a merger that could transform the health insurance industry, Wade is going to get the legally binding ethics opinion that she and the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy never saw the need to request.
Posted inNews
CT ethics board to consider Common Cause petition seeking Wade investigation
Connecticut ethics officials will consider a petition filed by Common Cause late Monday that asks them to rule on whether Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade’s ties to her former employer, Cigna, require her to recuse herself from reviewing a proposed merger of Cigna and Anthem. The Citizen’s Ethics Advisory Board will vote Thursday on whether a review will be done.
Posted inNews
Insurance mergers face hurdles, increased opposition
WASHINGTON – The CEOs of the large health insurers hoping to close on historic mergers are telling investors and the public the deals are on track, but there still are a number of hurdles, and increasing opposition, to the deals.
Posted inHealth
Major health insurers seek sharply higher rates in Connecticut
Some of Connecticut’s major health insurers are seeking rate increases far beyond medical inflation, including an average increase of 26.8 percent for the individual plans offered by the state’s biggest insurer, Anthem Health Plans, according to requests released Monday. The filings come as the insurance industry, state Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade and her department are under intense scrutiny over proposed mergers.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Consumer group demands Wade recuse herself on Cigna merger
WASHINGTON — A consumer group says Gov. Dannel Malloy should avoid “going back to the days of Corrupticut” and replace Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade as the key state regulator on a proposed mega-merger between Anthem and Cigna insurance companies.
Posted inPolitics
CT approval of Aetna-Humana merger draws fire
Updated at 5:30 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Opponents of the proposed Aetna-Humana merger on Thursday blasted the state insurance department for approving the deal, saying it was “rubber stamped” without public input, and asked the department to reopen the case.
Posted inHealth, Politics
CT signs off on Aetna-Humana merger, but other hurdles remain
WASHINGTON — The Connecticut Insurance Department has signed off on Aetna’s proposed merger with Humana, but other hurdles remain for that deal and another merger proposed by Cigna and Anthem.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Insurance giants’ proposed merger likely to hurt Connecticut health care
The proposed mergers of insurance giants Anthem/Cigna and Aetna/Humana are likely to have a negative impact on both the cost and quality of care in Connecticut. Mergers are usually justified by claims of increased efficiency and opportunity for innovation, but based on past experience those results are rarely delivered. In fact, such a major consolidation would permanently change our state’s health care system for patients, physicians and other stakeholders.
Posted inHealth
Five stories that can make 2016 a big year in health care
“I haven’t seen a time in my almost 10 years here in the state where there’s so much happening in health care,” says state Healthcare Advocate Victoria Veltri. Here are five health care stories to watch in 2016.
Posted inHealth
Ethics office won’t call for Wade to recuse herself on Cigna deal
The Office of State Ethics is not calling for Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade to recuse herself from overseeing her agency’s review of Anthem’s proposal to buy Cigna, where Wade previously worked and her husband serves as an attorney. But Executive Director Carol Carson said the office has raised concerns.
Posted inHealth
Unlike UnitedHealth, Aetna, Anthem say they will stay in ACA exchanges
WASHINGTON — UnitedHealth may quit the nation’s insurance exchanges, but Aetna and Anthem say they are staying and will work on problems with the marketplaces.