California Insurers Planning To Raise Rates.

The Sacramento (CA) Business Journal (12/3, Robertson, Subscription Publication), Kathy Robertson writes, "Anthem Blue Cross, California's largest for-profit insurer and leader in the individual market, is seeking an average rate hike of 26 percent for 340,000 members, effective Feb. 1. Another 296,059 may get an average increase of 24.6 percent the same day." Another group of 1,659 members may get a 2.1 percent cut in their rate. Aetna proposed an average 18.8 percent hike in rates while Kaiser is seeking to increase rates by an average of 7.7 percent. Regulators at the California Department of Insurance and the California Department of Managed Health Care will review the plans but "cannot set rates or deny them."