Anthem a boon to Obama's healthcare efforts

[cal04]

The Democrats' bill was in serious trouble when news broke of planned rate hikes by the California insurer.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-anthem-politics7-2010mar07,0,5722488,full.story

Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington - On a warm Friday in early November, California's largest for-profit health insurer submitted a request to regulators in Sacramento. Anthem Blue Cross was seeking double-digit rate increases for many of its 800,000 individual policyholders.

Company executives had little reason to worry. Insurers can raise premiums in the individual market as often -- and as much -- as they like, within certain guidelines. For years, such requests were routinely approved. They rarely made news.

(snip)
Unwittingly, Anthem helped revive Democratic efforts. Every letter it sent out was a political gift for Obama. The only thing missing was a shiny red bow.

(snip)
The president wants final passage of healthcare legislation in the next few weeks, with or without Republican support. Approval in either house remains far from certain. But chances look better than they did before Anthem began notifying its policyholders of its rate hikes.

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. And so Anthem gets millions of new reluctant customers as "punishment" for their greed.

In what bizarro fucking world does that make any goddamn sense?

[Frances]

3. I don't get it

Are you saying that you think that people should not have health insurance?

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. I am saying that criminal corporations should not be rewarded for their crimes

with 45 million new "customers" who will be required by law to pay them.

I am saying that the insurance industry is the problem, therefore it cannot be the solution.

I am saying that fucking CUBA and COSTA RICA (among about 35 other nations) should not have better health care than the United God Damned States of America.

It's time to stop this BULLSHIT and put people before profits.

[truedelphi]

8. Your message is clear to me.

And I totally agree.

[bluestateguy]

2. He brought it up in a pre-Super Bowl interview with Katie Kirk

He had a huge audience and the whole thing just took off from there.

[frazzled]

4. Is that Captain Kirk's daughter?

Or was it Katie Couric?

[bluestateguy]

5. I pronounce it Katie Kirk

You pronounce it as you wish.

[frazzled]

6. Sure ...

Live long and prosper.