House Inquiry

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has posted a copy of the August 17 letter that it sent to 52 health insurance companies inquiring about executive pay practices, revenues, administrative expenses, and profitability. Included in the letter is a request for a table that breaks out revenues, claims expenses, administrative expenses, and profits by line of business, including the FEHBP. National Underwriter reports that "The data call 'is just a fishing expedition designed to silence the health insurance industry and distract attention away from the fact that the American people are rejecting a government-run plan,' [according to] Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, Washington." Considering the fact that the Committee did not send similar requests to hospital chains, pharmaceutical companies, etc., it would be hard to argue against this position.