California insurance watchdog asks insurer to delay rate hike

For some consumers, the rate hike proposed by Blue Shield of California would be as high as 59%.

NPR: Blue Shield Of California Asked To Delay Rate Hike
California's top insurance watchdog is asking one of his state's biggest health insurers to delay a planned rate increase for nearly 200,000 policyholders. For some, the rate hike by Blue Shield of California would be as high as 59%. It would be the third hike since last fall. Blue Shield says the increases are not related to health care overhaul (1/7).

Los Angeles Times: California Insurance Commissioner To Blue Shield: Delay Rate Hike
California's new insurance commissioner called Thursday for health insurer Blue Shield of California to delay controversial new rate hikes for 60 days, saying recent increases by the industry were alarming (Helfand, 1/6).

San Francisco Chronicle: Blue Shield Urged To Hold Off On Rate Increases
State health regulators called on Blue Shield of California on Thursday to hold off raising its health insurance premiums for 60 days to thousands of individual policyholders, some of whom were hit with hikes as high as 59% (Colliver, 1/7).

The Sacramento Bee: Insurance Chief Jones Urges Blue Shield To Delay Big Rate Hike
Only days into the job, state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones faced off with the health insurance industry Thursday, calling on Blue Shield of California to delay plans to raise premiums by as much as 59% on nearly 200,000 Californians who buy health coverage on their own (Calvan, 1/7).