Health insurers that raise premiums 10% or more next year will face new regulatory scrutiny, the Obama administration said Tuesday, in its latest effort to show its health overhaul is helping tame rapidly rising rates.

The new rules stop short of giving federal regulators the power to block increases, but they mark an expansion of federal oversight in an area traditionally controlled by the states.

Insurers have accused the Obama administration of playing politics with rates, saying they are being blocked from raising premiums even when the raises are justified by higher costs for medical care.

Under the guidelines, which are preliminary, insurers would have to post detailed justifications online when they propose a double-digit rate hike. The rules also define more clearly how regulators should ascertain whether a rate increase is reasonable.

Read the complete Wall Street Journal story, “Insurer Rate Hikes Face Fresh Federal Scrutiny.”

Health insurers that raise premiums 10% or more next year will face new regulatory scrutiny, the Obama administration said Tuesday, in its latest effort to show its health overhaul is helping tame rapidly rising rates.

The new rules stop short of giving federal regulators the power to block increases, but they mark an expansion of federal oversight in an area traditionally controlled by the states.

Insurers have accused the Obama administration of playing politics with rates, saying they are being blocked from raising premiums even when the raises are justified by higher costs for medical care.

Under the guidelines, which are preliminary, insurers would have to post detailed justifications online when they propose a double-digit rate hike. The rules also define more clearly how regulators should ascertain whether a rate increase is reasonable.

Read the complete Wall Street Journal story, “Insurer Rate Hikes Face Fresh Federal Scrutiny.”