Cuomo Stays Tough Against Corporate America

As far as Attorney Generals go, I must say that New York has one of the finer executives from across the land. After he served justice to a bar in my neighborhood for racial discrimation, he is on to big time crooks. That would be companies like Aetna, Cigna and United Health Group. You know, screwing people over and placing bottom lines before lives.

From Forbes:

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Thursday he issued new subpoenas to Aetna Inc., Cigna Corp., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and WellPoint Inc., and other health insurers in a broadening investigation of possible fraud costing consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cuomo is also looking for documents and to subpoena testimony from the CEOs of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, Excellus, and HIP health insurers.

Cuomo says he believes the companies used the UnitedHealth Group (nyse: UNH - news - people )-owned Ingenix to set rates, which resulted in consumers being reimbursed at unfair and unjustifiably low rates. Low reimbursements mean higher out-of-pocket costs for consumers when they choose or need physicians outside their health plans.

Basically these crooks companies aren't living up to their part of the bargain with their clients. When you purchase insurance, you want to be insured, not just paying a premium for no good reason. It would be more fun to burn the money in a bonfire then let Aetna, Cigna or Blue Cross pad their bottom lines.

Oh and the best part about Cuomo's legal action? This is only the beginning, wait till he really gets started.