Madmallard
.223 Rem
A company whose officials have been major donors to Gov. Andrew Cuomo – and which received an unusual $25 million state grant for projects it was already building – also was allowed by state insurance regulators to issue a huge rate increase for plans sold by its health care company.
For 2017, the Department of Financial Services – which must approve rate increases for companies on the New York Affordable Care Act market – allowed Crystal Run Health Plan to increase its rates by 80.5 percent for individual plans and 58.5 percent for small group plans.
That was the highest in both categories by far for any non-Crystal Run company, with the next highest increase approved by DFS for individual plans 29.2 percent. The approved rates were announced by DFS in August 2016.
Crystal Run executives, doctors or their spouses have given at least $400,000 to Cuomo, including 10 donations each worth $25,000 over a two-day period in October 2013. A Cuomo campaign spokesman has said the donations stemmed from a fundraiser. Seven of the donors had otherwise not given in a New York election for at least a decade.
A Cuomo spokesman has repeatedly said that campaign donations never impact administration policy.
Major Cuomo donor got state OK for huge health rate hikes
For 2017, the Department of Financial Services – which must approve rate increases for companies on the New York Affordable Care Act market – allowed Crystal Run Health Plan to increase its rates by 80.5 percent for individual plans and 58.5 percent for small group plans.
That was the highest in both categories by far for any non-Crystal Run company, with the next highest increase approved by DFS for individual plans 29.2 percent. The approved rates were announced by DFS in August 2016.
Crystal Run executives, doctors or their spouses have given at least $400,000 to Cuomo, including 10 donations each worth $25,000 over a two-day period in October 2013. A Cuomo campaign spokesman has said the donations stemmed from a fundraiser. Seven of the donors had otherwise not given in a New York election for at least a decade.
A Cuomo spokesman has repeatedly said that campaign donations never impact administration policy.
Major Cuomo donor got state OK for huge health rate hikes
