This is fucking unblievable

[howmad1]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Anthem Blue Cross to Raise Rates by 39 Percent

"The health insurance company Anthem Blue Cross is coming under intense pressure for deciding to raise rates by as much as 39 percent for individual policyholders. Anthem is a California-based subsidiary of the health insurance giant WellPoint, which earned $2.7 billion in the last quarter of 2009. In a letter released Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asked the company to explain the rate increase. She wrote, “These extraordinary increases are up to 15 times faster than inflation and threaten to make health care unaffordable for hundreds of thousands of Californians, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet in a difficult economy.”



Read more: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/04/business/la-fi-insure-anthem5-2010feb05

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Am I living in a dream world? This is the response from the Obama Administration? What's to explain? The Health Insurance industry has carte blanche to do whatever the hell they want thanks to our president and his behind closed door deals he is making with the health care industry. This make me so mad, I could spit. When Obama took single payer off the table, that was the end of any decent national health care; and this stunt by BC/BS proves the point.

Sebelius also said she was "disturbed" to learn of the planned increases, calling them "extraordinary". Where did Obama find these amateurs to help run this country? I'll bet that CEO of BC/BS is shaking in his boots over Sec. Sebelius' letter. I'm sure his response was along the lines of "STFU, bitch, we can do whatever the hell we want."

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Don't think this is LBN --

and the post heading must match that of the article. Might want to change that.

[brentspeak]

9. Just for once, I wish that WAS an actual major U.S. newspaper headline n/t

[virgogal]

2. Unbelievable. eom

[Bryn]

3. Mom's Blue Cross raised her rate from 161.00 to 172.00 recently

in Arkansas.

Should she drop Blue Cross and use Medicare mainly? Just curious.

[Dr.Phool]

13. Is she on Medicare?

That sounds like a supplemental rate.

If they raised her to $1172.00m that would be more of a regular policy.

[Posteritatis]

4. Thing is, they *can* do what they want until some legislation actually passes

Obama can't just nationalize the fuckers, much as that might be a benefit at this point. If Congress wants them to keep doing this kind of thing - and they do - then it's going to keep happening.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. Hell, they can do this AFTER the current legislation passes

There are no limits on premiums in the bill, only on the amount that the insured has to pay.

[Posteritatis]

22. That's true; I was speaking more broadly.

I probably should have said competent legislation. ;P

[lpbk2713]

5. Pumping money in to all those town hall meetings really paid off.

For the Health Ins Cos, Big Pharma and the GOP in general.

I'm sure they knew that it would.

[alittlelark]

6. Obama called Blue Cross out for this an hour or so ago

I saw it on CNN.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. What did he say? "Stop or I'll say stop again"?

[Mari333]

8. *cough* LOL

[Whisp]

11. you expect him to just sign something and this shit just goes away?

is that what you really think the power of a president has? he addressed this in that speech you are guffawing at. He can't just do it alone and having the cynical beat up his ass as constant as the pugs ain't helping any either.

you really think the president can price fix all on his own whim? wow.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. You assume too much. -nt

[howmad1]

19. What I expect the president to do.......

....is to get together with the progressive democrats in congress, tell them to put together a strong single payer health care bill and then pass it through reconcilliation. What's so hard to understand? He's allegedly the most powerful man on the earth. If he can't tell Nelson, Lieberman, Landrieu, etc., and the health care industry et al to fuck off and get this done, he's more than worthless. I did not expect a corpratist, Wall St. loving, rank amateur pussy to be leading this country.

[Whisp]

21. pussy? you say?

I suppose that means that anything female is less than, erm, a male. less powerful, less effective, lesss worthy, etc.

thanks for clearing that up, aobut you, that is.

[spanone]

23. damn, you should email the prez...you have the formula...genius....

:puke:

[flyarm]

12. no sheeet!!!...eom

[Captain Hilts]

18. Ouch!

[Dr.Phool]

15. Oooh.....Strongly worded language.

Shape up, or you'll get a strongly worded letter!

[CountAllVotes]

10. I have Blue Cross

the premium for two people as a supplemental plan is already over $900.+ a month!

Add in another $200+ for Medicare it works out to being over $1100.00 a month.

And what exactly do they cover? Best I can tell after just having gotten out of the hospital - some piss poor care!

This is an outrage!

How the hell do people get away from them if they have no other viable choices?

Answer that please Pres. Obama!

:kick:

[xiamiam]

16. blue shield raised my rates by about 35% this past year for no good reason

I called to ask why..they said i had a birthday..i said yes, everyone does but i did not have a tier change birthday..oh well...increases for everyone..get over it...and i hadn't even used my insurance for a couple years..i had taken a higher deductible and a lower payment to 500 about 9 months before..they said, you cant apply for a higher deductible with lower payment until the year is over so you have to pay the 667 for three months and then apply..criminal...

[Captain Hilts]

17. They started this in Maine, home of President Snowe, did they not? I think so. nt