A subcommittee of the House Energy & Commerce Committee today examined an Anthem Blue Cross proposal to increase premiums by up to 39% in the individual health insurance market in California. Witnesses at the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing included Angela Braly, president and CEO of Anthem parent WellPoint Inc. Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak (D-MI) said, "WellPoint has tried to justify their rate increases through a high profile media campaign, reassuring policyholders, congressional leaders and the administration that the proposed rate increases are necessary due to rising medical costs and declining business resulting from economic difficulties; not from padding their bottom line. Through our investigation, we discovered internal documents that suggest a closer relationship between the proposed premium increases and WellPoint profits." Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) said, "We will learn much from today's hearing…and I hope we will apply those lessons when we meet at the White House tomorrow and in the days and weeks to come."