It's kind-of a bad news/neutral news story: the judge refused to allow the insurance companies to raise rates because they had not exhausted appeals to the state insurance commission:
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Stephen E. Neel today denied a request by six health insurers to allow them to implement double-digit premium rate increases for tens of thousands of small businesses and individuals.Meh. This is just delaying the showdown.
Neel's decision not to grant an injunction sought by the insurers means the state Division of Insurance's rejection of 235 proposed rate hikes stands for now.
In making his much anticipated ruling, Neel accepted the argument of state government that the insurers should appeal the decision of Insurance Commissioner Joseph G. Murphy within the insurance division before they turn to the courts.
5 comments:
Mmm, yeah, the big showdown that's gonna turn out totally differently.
Should be fun watching some conservatives, as they pin their hopes on the next 30 or 40 huge turning points in the "repeal" process.
"I'll hold the football, Charlie Brown, while you run up and kick it."
"THIS time, I'm going to kick that ball over the moon!"
The MA state DOI has been politicized. It is supposed to be run by actuaries who make sure the insurance companies play by the rules and don't make too much money.
A ruling that tells insurance companies they have to lose money is obviously illegal. Only two possible outcomes - they let the rates rise to at least break-even levels, or health insurance companies flee the state.
The real world isn't binary.
Ah, I forget that in MA the law is nuanced...
Yeah, whoever heard of "interpreting" a law? Not in my America!
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