Healthcare reforms don't go far enough

[n2doc]

By David Lazarus
September 7, 2010



Ruta Vaisnys just got the word from Blue Shield of California: Her monthly health insurance premium will rise by more than 28% to $243 beginning next month.

The Silver Lake resident is among the 150,000 Blue Shield customers with individual insurance policies who will experience yet another rate hike Oct. 1. An additional 180,000 Blue Shield members will see their rates go up by an average of 18.3% over the next year.

Meanwhile, about 800,000 Anthem Blue Cross individual policyholders will see their premiums rise by an average of 14%.

"Your rate is rising for a variety of reasons, all associated with the rapidly increasing cost of medical care," Vaisnys and other Blue Shield customers are being told by letter.

"Your individual rate reflects a combination of what Blue Shield pays for healthcare, as well as factors that are specific to you – in particular, the product you purchased and your age."

That may be true. But it also reflects a healthcare system so wildly out of whack that adequate insurance is quickly growing out of reach for all but the wealthiest Americans.


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http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20100907,0,2080855.column

[OHdem10]

1. If the GOP take over occurs, it will not matter. The Republicans

are running on a platform to DeFund HC. No money to be
paid out.

They know they cannot repeal with Obama as President because
he will veto it. The House controls the purse. Not funding
HC will have same result as repealing it.