New York senators have begun examining last year's financial failure of the insurance cooperative Health Republic, hearing from hospitals and doctors who say they've got $200 million or more in unpaid bills and want the state to step in.
Other insurers and care providers at the Capitol on Wednesday also question the state's methods for setting insurance rates lower than Health Republic requested and needed.
Health Republic enrolled 200,000 members through New York's health exchange.
Republican Sen. Kemp Hannon of Long Island says they'll first see if Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to make up payment shortfalls in the upcoming state budget.
Republican Sen. James Seward of Otsego County says he'll again push legislation to open the insurance rate-setting process to make it more publicly transparent.
© 2016 AP
