Acting Insurance Commissioner Quietly Named At Crucial Time (Connecticut)

The Hartford Courant (CT) ^ | November 12, 2010 | Matthew Sturdevant

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In an interim appointment that could have huge importance, the outgoing head of the state Insurance Department has identified his temporary replacement.

Barbara C. Spear will be named to fill the commissioner's seat being vacated today by Insurance Commissioner Thomas Sullivan, according to an e-mail Sullivan sent to employees Wednesday. Spear, 55, of Simsbury, is director of consumer services at the Insurance Department and she will maintain that title as well.

As acting commissioner, Spear will apparently have sole discretion to approve, reject or modify rate requests from insurance companies -- including a spate of requests for health plans in 2011, which the department is now handling.

On Wednesday, the department is scheduled to hear a request by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut, for some of the company's 2011 plans offered to individuals, which have an average price hike of 20 percent.

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Leadership of division which includes the following units: Consumer Affairs, Market Conduct, Licensing and Fraud & Investigations (approximately 35% of CID staff). Financial impact from this division includes responsibility for receiving approximately $60M in licensing fees, and $2.1 M in fines and penalties to the General Fund for fiscal year 2010, while recovering over $3M for consumers during this same time period."

[Puppage]

On another note: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/consumer/shelton-health-net-layoffs

[GailA]

Stimulus bill that controls DOCTORS.

Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research Membership
Recovery Act Allocates $1.1 Billion for Comparative Effectiveness Research

http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/os/cerbios.html