New York Attorney General is at it again – this time investigating links between the health care industry and colleges, rerports the New York Times.  Here’s an excerpt:

The investigation by the attorney general… appears to be focused on the adequacy of disclosure of policy terms and costs to students. Investigators also appear to be looking into whether colleges are receiving any improper payments in exchange for requiring students to use a particular insurer.

“We are primarily focused on whether insurance companies are paying schools to push students into health coverage they don’t really need and shouldn’t really want,” Benjamin M. Lawsky, special assistant to the attorney general, wrote in an e-mail message. “With students and their families being financially squeezed at every turn, colleges must ensure that they are looking out for students’ best interest first and foremost as opposed to their own financial bottom line.”

The request to State University of New York institutions, for example, asked for copies of colleges’ requests for proposals from insurers, contracts with insurers, statistics on premiums paid and information given to students about available policies, said Megan Galbraith, a spokeswoman for SUNY.