Medica Criticized for Transferring Money to For-Profit Unit

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Gov. Mark Dayton and others are criticizing one of Minnesota's biggest health insurers for transferring $120 million from its nonprofit Minnesota HMO to other operations, including a for-profit insurance unit.

Medica Health Plans used money from its nonprofit HMO this month to bolster its for-profit and Wisconsin insurance businesses. State lawmakers passed legislation this year that allows for-profit HMOs to operate in Minnesota and they made it easier for HMOs to transfer reserves. Dayton opposed those legislative changes. He says the reserves should be returned to customers through lower rates for more affordable health care.

Reports say the Minnetonka-based Medica says it requested the transfers because of changing regulatory reserve requirements for its businesses, and that state regulators approved it.