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WEST HARTFORD — Connecticut officials demanded to know Friday if the state's five largest insurance companies have sent policyholders information about a possible impact on Medicare of health care changes debated in Washington.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Healthcare Advocate Kevin P. Lembo asked Aetna Inc., ConnectiCare Inc., Anthem Health Plans of Connecticut, HealthNet of Connecticut and UnitedHealth Group for information the companies may have sent regarding the impact of proposed legislation on Medicare Advantage and prescription drug programs.
Blumenthal and Lembo said they are responding to recent mailings by Humana Inc. telling its Medicare customers that proposed federal legislation could slash their benefits. The missive urged seniors to contact lawmakers to ask them to oppose it.
Aetna spokesman Fred Laberge said in an e-mail that the insurer has not sent letters to members or policyholders on the issue, though Aetna officials have been "strong advocates for health care reform."
Stephen Jewett, spokesman for ConnectiCare, said in an e-mail that the insurer did not send materials to Medicare Advantage members about federal health reform and "believes this request is being spurred by health reform politics and is not warranted."
He said Medicare Advantage marketing materials are required by federal law to be approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS. ConnectiCare has complied "in full" with the law, Jewett said.
Terence O'Hara, a spokesman for UnitedHealth Group, said in an e-mail that the insurer "has a strong commitment to communicating clearly and accurately with our members regarding their health plans. We have received the inquiry and will be responding." He was not specific about the insurer's communications with its members.
Alice Ferreira at HealthNet said the insurer did not communicate with its members about health care reform and will respond to the request by Connecticut officials.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield said it received the request from the two Connecticut officials, are reviewing it and will "respond appropriately."
CMS, which oversees the federal health programs for the poor and elderly, has told Humana and other insurers working with Medicare to immediately stop mailings or similar Internet postings related to the health care legislation being debated in Congress.
Top Republicans in the U.S. Senate responded by saying they will not allow President Barack Obama to fill health posts until his administration stops barring insurers from telling the elderly how Democrats' health overhaul could affect their benefits.
The argument is the latest escalation over whether the broad health system remake that Democrats have written would result in reduced benefits and services for seniors. The measures — along the lines sought by Obama — propose hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade in cuts to Medicare, the federal health program for the elderly and disabled, including in a program that lets private insurers contract with Medicare to provide coverage.
In an interview, Blumenthal said he has no documents or other evidence of mailings by insurers in Connecticut. However, without being specific, he said he has received reports from seniors and other sources of information "that lead us to think we should ask directly if there have been mailings."
Some insurance companies have "exaggerated or stretched" the impact of health care reform, he said.
Blumenthal and Lembo asked the insurers for any mailing since Jan. 1 to policyholders of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D policies that refers to federal health care reform or possible changes to Medicare benefits or cost sharing.
The officials want "screenshots" of Web site pages related to federal health care reform or changes to Medicare plans, materials provided at open enrollment fairs since Jan. 1 that refer to health care reform and any other materials such as signs and brochures.
Blumenthal and Lembo gave the insurers until Oct. 16 to provide the information.
