Michigan legislature asked to delay Blue Cross changes

Attorney General Mike Cox and a group of consumer advocates have asked the Michigan Legislature to drop plans for its upcoming lame duck session to give the go-ahead to a restructuring of insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield. Cox and representatives of AARP and the Consumers Union said Blue Cross proposals pending in the Legislature would remove government oversight, increase costs for consumers buying individual policies, and deny coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions. Blue Cross officials have been pressing for changes for more than a year, claiming the company is experiencing unsustainable losses in the individual market.