Thomas Sullivan Leaves Connecticut Commissioner Post

under fire several months ago from veterans’ groups, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Veterans Department and several House committees.

In recent weeks, Sullivan has faced harsh criticism for a decision to approve a health insurance rate increase request.

Sullivan approved a request by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut, a unit of WellPoint Inc., Indianapolis (NYSE:WLP), to increase rates on some new health insurance policies by 47%.

Sullivan drew fire for the decision from Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is a Democratic candidate for the Senate; consumer groups; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Jay Angoff, director of the HHS Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, demanded in an Oct. 18 letter that the Connecticut Insurance Department hold a hearing on the Anthem increase, “test and validate the assumptions underlying the increase and make all data filed by Anthem public.”

“At a time when American families are struggling to meet their most basic needs, these rate hikes could lead a number of residents of your state to lose their health coverage,” Angoff charged in the letter.

Sullivan defended the rate hike–the largest in state history–by contending that the new Affordable Care Act, the legislative package that includes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), has imposed expensive new mandates on insurers.