Oregon to hold more insurance rate hike hearings

Portland Business Journal:

Oregon’s top insurance administrator said Thursday the state plans to hold more public hearings when health insurers seek rate increases.

Teresa Miller, administrator of the Oregon Insurance Division , said Oregon could even begin holding hearings on all rate request filings related to individual and group policy filings. The public hearings could mirror a packed June event at which consumers generally lambasted Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon's 22.1 percent increase request...

Oregon lawmakers considered but took no action on a small business-backed measure that would require public hearings when insurers ask for increases higher than 7.7 percent for purchasing groups comprised of more than 1,000 members. The measure, backed by Portland Democratic Sen. Chip Shields, will likely return to the legislative agenda either during Oregon’s 2012 short session or the 2013 biennial session.

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