Consumers Affected
220,000
Attorney General William Tong sent a letter to the Connecticut Insurance Department urging rejection of double-digit rate increases sought by Anthem, ConnectiCare, and UnitedHealthcare for individual and small group health insurance plans covering about 220,000 people. The letter argues the rates exceed inflationary measures and criticizes the carriers for failing to control costs and for poor claims system management, particularly ConnectiCare's transition to Molina Healthcare.
In-house legal teams should review provider contracts and network agreements to ensure reimbursement rates reflect actual costs of service and include anti-upcoding and anti-fraud provisions. They should also examine claims management agreements, especially those involving system migrations, to ensure adequate customer service and data integrity. Additionally, contracts with pharmacy benefit managers and large health systems should be scrutinized for cost drivers and consolidation risks.
Entity
Anthem, ConnectiCare, and UnitedHealthcare
Industry
HealthcareOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-urges-rejection-of-health-insurance-rate-hike-requests
8 24 26 william tong 2027 rate filing and appendices.pdf?rev
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2026/8-24-26-william-tong---2027-rate-filing-and-appendices.pdf?rev=6c21fb8780e34830b781d74bbdc94a3c&hash=043E6882216F9FC5D771A454489C3905
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"Anthem, ConnectiCare and UnitedHealthcare"
"Pursuant to Connecticut law, in order for these rates to be approved, the Connecticut Insurance Department must determine that these requested rates are not “excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.”"
"These insurers are, once again, requesting rate increases that exceed other inflationary and general economic growth measures."
$625K
Connecticut reached a $625,000 settlement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. over an April 2024 breach in which compromised employee and vendor credentials were used to access internal systems and exfiltrate unencrypted personal information of 58,841 Connecticut residents. The settlement requires Frontier to strengthen its security program, implement specific safeguards and training, and obtain an independent third-party assessment.
$2.6M
Connecticut and New York found that Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its security vendor, XTIUM, failed to use reasonable safeguards, resulting in hackers accessing sensitive personal, medical, and employee information. The companies agreed to pay penalties totaling $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
Connecticut joined a coalition of state attorneys general filing a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings, raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds. The states seek protections for children and consumers if the company’s business or assets are sold or transferred; the filing does not impose a fine or other remedy.
Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA to review how Connecticut public utilities use artificial intelligence, citing potential data privacy and cybersecurity risks, algorithmic errors, and misleading outputs. The petition asks PURA to examine utility AI systems, safeguards, vendors, and data security practices; it does not report a finding of violation or an imposed penalty.
$2.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with RZ Smoke, Inc. over allegations that it distributed and sold high-potency cannabis products without a state license. The stipulated judgment is $2 million, with $375,000 payable to the State and $1.6 million suspended to ensure compliance; the company is barred from specified cannabis activities in Connecticut unless licensed.
$13.7M
Connecticut joined a coalition of states and the federal government in settling allegations that Takeda paid healthcare providers speaker honoraria and provided meals to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, leading to allegedly false claims to government healthcare programs. Takeda agreed to pay $13,670,921 plus accrued interest, with portions allocated to federal and state programs.