Here's another question: why, in the face of possible HCR, would

[Raven]

some of these insurance companies jack up their rates adding fuel to the "vote yes on HCR" movement?

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Purge the poor & increase profits while you can

Before the new baseline.

[yurbud]

2. since they wrote the bill, they know they can do what they want with impunity (like Wall Street)

[madmax]

18. + 1 get it while you can

[kestrel91316]

3. Because there are egregious profits in doing so. You needed to ask???

[Raven]

5. Please don't insult my intelligence...I know there are profits, I am

wondering about the timing.

[kestrel91316]

15. Take a valium and learn about this weird thing called sarcastic humor.

I'll await your apology.

[Lerkfish]

4. the right answer is the simplest: because they can

and because no one will stop them.

[mmonk]

6. Too big to fail.

[sabrina 1]

7. Because they know that the same democrats who

just handed them a windfall (and using public funds also) will cover for them. That same Democratic Congress that handed over more public funds to Wall St. agreeing to 'no oversight' as King Henry Paulson demanded.

The Congress and WH that will not prosecute torturers and war criminals.

They have nothing to fear. All will be swept under the rug.

When the bill passes, anyone who points out their greed, will be told that 'we have to look forward'.

Look at the support for this bill on Democrati Boards! What does Big Business have to fear from Democrats? They have proven to be their best employees.

[sandnsea]

8. According to the right

This is just proof that the middle class will pay more in premiums because the insurance companies will have to charge more because of all the money they're going to lose trying to cover the deadbeats.

Sometimes you really do have to step into the mind of the other side in order to see how these seemingly contradictory behaviors are actually playing out exactly the way the corporations intend.

Raising rates drastically is a win-win for them right now. They rile up the right and they get a last hurrah before insurance regulations pass.

[Raven]

9. Jesus!

[sandnsea]

17. Apparently not just the right

I quote, from DU:

"They will just pass on the cost of accepting people with pre-conditions to ALL policy holders."

And by golly don't these coincidental increases just prove that.

[shraby]

10. Maybe they want the rates "grandfathered" in, so are

raising them before the new laws.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. The deal has already been cut.

They've been assured they're going to get the "reform" bill they wanted, so they are now free to do whatever the hell strikes their fancy. And a rate hike strikes their fancy.

[Spazito]

13. You are right...

That is part of it, the other parts are:

If the Insurance Companies want to be part of the "exchange" that will be created with the passage of Health Insurance Reform they will have to meet specific requirements to even be eligible and if eligible they will have to compete with others in the "exchange" to acquire "customers", the lowest cost premiums will win more "customers" so, to compete, they will have to lower their premiums as well. They are grabbing now while they can.

There is also this:

Insurance companies will have to report how they spend the premium dollars they collect from their customers. If they spend too much on administrative costs and profits, they will have to give some of that money back to their customers. Insurance companies will also have to provide public justification for premium increases.

[Ozymanithrax]

12. Because they know the party is over and they will have to reduce profits a little in the future...

Because having spent about a milion dollars a day to defeat health care, they need to get their failed investment money back.

Because they can.

[suffragette]

14. I was thinking about that when reading this column

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2011340183_danny14.html

More than a hundred people wrote or called with stories of astonishing rate hikes. Many said they were frustrated with the press. Not for sensationalizing. For underplaying what's happening out in the health-care trenches.

Many described premiums going up far more than the 39 percent proposed last week by Anthem Blue Cross in California, a story that got national attention.

"This year saw my premium go up SEVENTY-SIX PERCENT," wrote Linda Kager of Seattle, making sure I got the point. "Not 17%, or even the infamous California 39%."


Well worth reading the whole thing, especially since it's people reporting back to a columnist what is actually occurring, not just what's making the news.

I'm with shraby, I think they're raising them, at least in part, to grandfather in new rates. Wouldn't be surprised if down the road, they reduce some of this slightly and callously trumpet how they're lowering rates.

They're in the driver's seat and they know it.

[Donnachaidh]

16. because there will be no one telling them to roll them back

They'll have fingers wagged at them, but they've made their deals. Roll out the increases now, so more increases can be done later, after those mandates kick in.

They can live with fingerwagging. As a matter of fact, they probably will be giggling at the next fingerwag photo-op.