Anthem Blue Cross seeks to raise individual policyholders' rates (up to 25%)

[No Elephants]

California's largest for-profit health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, is seeking to raise rates an average of 18% for more than 630,000 individual policyholders, drawing scrutiny from regulators and the ire of consumers already struggling with soaring premiums.

Some Anthem customers may see rates rise as much as 25% in February under the company's proposal at a time when medical inflation is running at historic lows nationwide.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/28/business/la-fi-insurance-rate-hikes-20121128



But, No Elephants, why are you telling us today about a story that appeared in November? You might well ask.

Two reasons.


The lesser reason is that Morning Low happened to cover the story this morning, only he said that small businesses were the ones getting the hefty increases. He specifically said "not individuals."


The other reason is that Secretary Reich mentioned on This Week yesterday that Social Security and Medicare were not driving the deficit, rising health care costs were. And the Affordable Care Act did not do anywhere near enough to alter that.

Those of us that objected to lack of either single payer or a meaningful public option four years ago were given excuse after excuse, rationalization after rationalization. And those same people are now pretending that Obama now has no choice but to "reform" Social Security and Medicare.

Connect the dots, morans.

Sometimes, I don't know who is more disappointing, the DLCers or those who contantly make excuses for the DLCers.

[Enthusiast]

1. I'm with you.

There is no possible solution other than Medicare for all or a strong Public Option. Profit simply must be removed from the equation, completely. I don't really give a shit what % insurance is of the national economy. They will just have to lose their jobs like the millions that had wonderful jobs in manufacturing that no one cared to preserve. This is a hot button issue with me.

Why are we so fucking concerned about an industry that is hurting the nation?

[No Elephants]

4. It's not only insurers, IMO.. Medical providers are charging way too much in many cases.

[formercia]

2. Medical care should never be for profit

Making money off of the misery of others is sinful.

Commodity (food) speculation is another one that pushes my buttons. Thousands of people die every Day from starvation because commodity speculators add to the cost of basic foodstuffs.

[No Elephants]

3. Communist!

It's like we've gone back to Charles Dickens.