Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health insurer, said on Wednesday that it would no longer seek a rate increase this year for individuals who buy coverage on their own rather than through an employer.
The insurer, a vocal proponent of the federal health care law, had come under sharp criticism for its request in January to raise premiums for some individuals by as much as 59 percent.
Blue Shield’s rate request had followed a similar request by WellPoint’s Anthem Blue Cross subsidiary last year, which set off a firestorm of protest by federal and state regulators and consumer advocates.
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