U.S. Health Insurers Face New Questions

ft.com — Health insurers face fresh questions from the House energy and commerce committee, which is stepping up its investigation into the industry as the argument over health care reform continues. Henry Waxman, the committee’s chairman, wrote to six health insurers asking about how small businesses are “purged” from coverage when their employees become ill. “Information provided to the committee suggests that health insurance companies terminate the coverage of small businesses that have become expensive to insure by cancelling their policies or by raising their premiums to unaffordable rates,” he wrote. Last month, the committee demanded details on executive compensation from the companies, including how many staff were paid more than $500,000 a year between 2003 and 2008.

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