Blue Cross Rhode Island asking for rate hikes of 11.5% for small empl. 14.6% for large employers

[JohnWxy]

You can expect similar increases across the nation.

You have heard that insurance rates doubled in the last decade. That computes to about a 7% increase per year. If you increase for another ten years at 11.5% annually, that would almost triple your premium; increase at 14.6% annually for ten years would almost QUADRUPLE your premiums.

http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/01/blue-cross-seeks-health-insura.html


Under the proposal by Blue Cross, rates would go up an average 11.5 percent for small employers, and an average of 14.6 percent for large employers. UnitedHealthCare's proposed rates were not available.

In July, at the request of Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher Koller, Blue Cross withdrew requests of 13.9 percent and 16.3 percent. Koller called them "unjustified" and said that "Rhode Island employers and employees have reached a tipping point with respect to their ability to pay for health insurance. We are in a crisis."

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Here's the question: in the next ten years how many employers will bail out of group insurance plans because they cannot afford to keep them (and stay in business)?


THIS IS SOMETHING PRES. OBAMA DID NOT CONVEY TO PEOPLE AT THE OUTSET (AND KEEP REMINDING REPUBLICANS OF).

IF YOU DON'T LIKE HEALTH CARE REFORM......HOW LUCKY DO YOU FEEL? WILL YOUR EMPLOYER DROP YOUR GROUP PLAN AND THEN YOU WILL BE AMONG THE UNINSURED.

THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY REASONS FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM! TO SLOW DOWN THE GROWTH IN PREMIUMS SO MILLIONS MORE DON'T JOIN THE RANKS OF THE UNINSURED.

OR WOULD YOU LIKE WAITING IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM TO GET HEALTH CARE???????

PUT THIS ON YOUR SIGN AND WAVE IT: "I LIKE WAITING FOR 3 HOURS AMONG COUGHING SICK PEOPLE TO GET 3 MINUTES WITH A HARRIED EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR."

[midnight]

1. Two words..... Executive Order..... Health care for all....

[jannyk]

2. Our POS Individual Anthem/Blue Cross just went up 17% in CA!!! nt

[RC]

3. These criminals just bought our Congress. They gotta pay for the services now.

[JohnWxy]

5. If that rate of annual increase continued for 10 years your premiums will grow 5.8 times

[Blue_Tires]

4. i lived in RI for a year

and dealing with BCBS drove me damn near insane...by comparison, they make BCBS of Virginia look competent and compassionate...

[JohnWxy]

6. This is another aspect of the current health insurance problem that I wish Obama had discussed

for a while to lay the groundwork for talking about reform.

I think Mr. Obama didn't anticipate the pertinacious, diabolical campaign of disinformation waged by the Corporate Lobbyist party against Health Care Reform. Nor did he anticipate the fertile ground of ignorance that subsisted out there in which the disinformation would fester and thrive.