Bleak economy pushing health insurers to raise rates, analysts say

The nation's health insurers have come under sharp attack by the Obama administration for seeking rate increases on policies they sell to individuals. But for insurers like WellPoint, the challenging business environment may leave them little choice but to raise prices if they want to protect profits, analysts and some health economists say. The weak economy and the unrelenting rise in the cost of medical care is making it increasingly difficult for companies to avoid substantial rate increases, the New York Times reports.