Anthem Rate Hikes Just Tip Of Iceberg - Premiums Going Way Up In Six More States (TPM)

[jefferson_dem]

Anthem Rate Hikes Just Tip Of Iceberg - Premiums Going Way Up In Six More States
Christina Bellantoni | February 18, 2010, 7:00AM

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today will release a new report showing more dramatic health insurance premium increases are proposed in Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.

Keying off the Obama administration's recent probe into a planned 39 percent rate hike from Anthem Blue Cross in California, Sebelius will detail large increases in six other states and say that given record insurer profits, health care reform has never been more urgent.

At 11:30 a.m. today, Sebelius will release the report, obtained by TPMDC and titled "Insurance Companies Prosper, Families Suffer: Our Broken Health Insurance System."

It finds that Anthem's rate increase (now delayed until May) is "not unique" and that experts say premiums will keep rising.

The report quotes National Association of Insurance Commissioners officials predicting the nation will "see rate increases of 20, 25, 30 percent."

"These massive increases are disturbing examples of the problems that make reforming our health insurance system more important than ever," the report states.

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http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/anthem-rate-hikes-just-tip-of-iceberg---premiums-going-way-up-in-six-more-states.php

[AndyA]

1. Could it be that the health care insurers themselves provide the motivation to pass HCR?

With their aggresive rate increases impacting so many people, their very actions could be what finally gives HCR with a public option the support it needs to pass.

Greed does ugly things to people and corporations. I think it would be the ultimate in irony if their own greed ultimately wound up being responsible for real HCR with a public option. For every customer with a rate increase, there's another potential HCR supporter.

[amborin]

4. you nailed it

except: i think it's deliberate

look, they had secret meetings with big pharma.....why not secret agreements with the Ins corps?

to scare the public into approving HCR, the huge giveaway to the Ins corps?!

i realize it sounds paranoid and conspiratorial but nevertheless i suspect it might be the case, just seems too coincidental

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. What is in the Senate Bill to prevent rate hikes like this?

Nothing comes to mind.

[slipslidingaway]

6. Would like to hear the answer myself. n/t

[Jennicut]

3. Connecticut, home of the insurance companies. I am so not surprised.

Sometimes I am embarrassed I live here. I have friends that work for Mass Mutual, Aetna, etc. I don't want them to lose their jobs but insurance companies really are disgusting.

[slipslidingaway]

5. Kucinich mentioned this - what is to stop them, and people act surprised now??? n/t

[iceman66]

7. Imagine how high they will go up if we lose control of Congress!!!

[HughMoran]

8. They're addicted to ripping people off and killing them for money

I hope they reform healthcare before we have to get at them in a more personal way for assaulting the health of our families. I consider what they do criminal and worthy of punishment.