3 Insurers ordered to halt Medicare sales

The U.S. government's Medicare program has ordered three health insurers--Universal American Corp. (UAM), Health Net Inc. (HNT) and Arcadian Health--to stop marketing to and enrolling new members in their Medicare Advantage health and prescription-drug plans, saying the companies violated regulations.

The moves come at a critical time, the midst of the 2011 Medicare open-enrollment season, when seniors choose their plans for Medicare health and drug coverage for next year. Open enrollment runs from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31. While seniors can select the traditional, government-run Medicare program, insurance companies offer government-funded Medicare Advantage plans that ...