The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    Tiger Woods injured in car accident

  • Security

    W. House praises IAEA's censures of Iran

  • Business

    Wall Street tumbles on Dubai fears

  • Local

    Private funeral Friday for Pollin

  • Politics

    Ads add heat to health care debate

  • National

    At Mall of America, it's business as usual

  • World

    Drug lords finding safe haven in Bolivia

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Md. Democrats shift blame

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Atlantis, crew of 7 back on Earth
  • Uninvited White House guests met Obama in line
  • iPhone lands in Korea
  • Wife aids Woods after SUV crash

By

Maryland Democratic leaders yesterday blamed the Republican state insurance commissioner for health maintenance organizations increasing their premiums and not a new tax the Democratic-controlled legislature levied on HMOs this month.

But HMO officials said they are raising their rates to pass on to their customers the 2 percent tax enacted by the General Assembly two weeks ago.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and House Speaker Michael E. Busch yesterday called for the resignation of Insurance Commissioner Alfred W. Redmer Jr., saying his recent bulletin encouraged HMOs to raise their rates.

"What we need in that position is a watchdog and not a lapdog," said Mr. Miller, a Prince George's Democrat and trial lawyer.

"I call for the insurance commissioner to do his job," said Mr. Busch, Anne Arundel Democrat. "And if he doesn't do that, I think we have no other choice than to call for his resignation."

Mr. Miller and Mr. Busch said Mr. Redmer was politically motivated in posting a bulletin that said HMOs could pass on to their customers a 2 percent tax on premiums if they notify the Maryland Insurance Administration in writing of the intentions.

The bulletin was posted on the independent agency's Web site (www.mdinsurance.state.md.us) on Jan. 13, two days after Democratic lawmakers overrode Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s veto of a medical malpractice insurance reform bill that included the HMO tax.

Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican, had warned against levying the tax, saying HMOs would pass it on to "those who can least afford to pay it."

Yesterday, Aetna Inc. of Hartford, Conn., said it was passing the 2 percent tax on to some of its HMO customers in Maryland because it had not planned for a tax when originally pricing its HMO premiums.

"The tax was not built into the premiums we developed," Aetna spokesman Walter Cherniak said.

123Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  4. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
  5. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
More Top Stories »
  1. Wife aids Woods after SUV crash
  2. In tobacco-loving Virginia, bars give up the habit
  3. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  4. HOLMES: Behind Obama's overseas allure
  5. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  2. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
  3. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  4. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  5. Finance mavens gloomy
More Top Stories »
  1. Fenty's approval in D.C. divided by race
  2. In tobacco-loving Virginia, bars give up the habit
  3. Drug lords finding safe haven in Bolivia
  4. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
  5. Global Warmists exposed

Most Commented

  1. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  2. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  3. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  4. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  5. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
More Top Stories »
  1. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
  2. Crashers probe may become criminal investigation
  3. Obama taking emissions goal to summit
  4. HOLMES: Behind Obama's overseas allure
  5. 9/11 families sharply split on civilian court trials

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Hall out, Rogers will start

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.