Latest federal rules, requests put new pressure on insurers, says Moody's

Insurers responded softly if not sweetly to the Obama administration's latest requests and rule changes for individuals trying to buy coverage in online marketplaces by Jan. 1. Moody's Investor Service, which is watching Obamacare from the outside, isn't so tactful. The latest changes "impose additional financial risks" on the companies, Moody's said in a Monday report. The guidelines disclosed Thursday, are "credit negative," meaning they're not great news for people who have lent money to insurers. The timing is "especially troublesome" because it gave insurers less than three weeks to change procedures and computer programs to accommodate the changes, Moody's said.