Boston, MA Mayor Thomas Menino is calling for investigation into Humana's pricing policies, in response to the health plan's posting a 130 percent premium increase this year for its standard Part D coverage. Menino, who characterizes the tactic as "bait and switch," plans to bring his concerns to an upcoming meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, as he believes that government leaders across the U.S. should know about the problem. In practical terms, the price differences aren't that great, with Massachusetts Part D premiums climbing from $7.32 to $16.90, but given the size of the jump, statistically they've drawn attention from policy makers across the state. Humana, for its part, said the increase came from a decrease in a federal subsidy which had artificially lowered costs in 2006. Incoming Attorney General Martha Coakley has issued a statement saying that she will review the pricing issue when she takes office later this month.
For more about the issue:
- read this article from The Boston Globe