Health-Law Politics Coming in Mail

Under a new law passed by the state legislature this spring, Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation will no longer have authority over rate increases, the Times/Hearld Tallahassee Bureau reports. Instead, the state is leaving such regulation to the federal government, which critics of the state law say lacks the authority and experience to handle it.  The state law also requires insurers to send out letters to Floridians spelling out how much of their premium increase is due to the Affordable Care Act. The law doesn’t apply to any health plans that were in effect before the ACA kicked in. Critics say the law is politically inspired, aimed at making the public angry with Obamacare, while the legislature and governor say they are simply letting the federal government manage the insurance market affected by its law.