WellPoint insurance hike becomes target for President Obama

[cal04]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100211/ap_on_he_me/us_insurance_rates_wellpoint

Health insurer WellPoint blames the Great Recession and rising medical costs for its planned 39 percent rate increase for some California customers. To President Barack Obama, however, it's Exhibit A in his campaign to revive the health care overhaul.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who received the company's explanation in a letter Thursday, said "it remains difficult to understand" how premium increases of that size by can be justified when WellPoint Inc. reported a $2.7 billion profit in the last quarter of 2009.

"This is a stark illustration of what the status quo means for American families," said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a better example of why reform is so urgent, and it's going to continue to be part of the case the president makes."

(snip)
The rate hike shock, however, could help Obama make his case that Republicans need to come to the table on health care. GOP leaders, who want to start talks over from scratch, are going reluctantly to the Feb. 25 health care summit convened by the president.

[MadMaddie]

1. I brought this rate hike up with my 30 - 40 year old coworkers

And their answer....it's the companies right to raise rates even though they had record breaking profits.

My answer and it's every Americans right to have other choices in healthcare.......

These are supposed to be Christians......

[Armstead]

3. Give them a message from me. They are ignorant assholes.

Um, mebbe not fpor the sake of work relations.

But they ARE ignorant assholes. Maybe they'll learn from hard experience someday.

[DrToast]

6. It IS their right. That's the problem!

That's why public companies are terrible health insurers. They're responsible to their shareholders. Wellpoint is doing what they're supposed to do.

[TwilightGardener]

7. The GOPers have convinced the American (idiot) people that profitable companies

screwing them over is GOOD for them.

[Blue-Jay]

8. Next time ask them

"Are you willing for your friends and family members to die so that Wall Street can post a profit?"

That's basically what it comes down to. What do they think is happening to the 2.7 million they kicked out for being "unprofitable" or the millions they've priced out of the market?

[boppers]

2. They're hiking individual coverage rates, as individual coverage is too expensive for customers...s

Seriously, that's pretty much what the article says, that because their coverage is expensive, people drop out, which makes the coverage expensive.

[Armstead]

4. So do something about it Mr. President. ...Talk is cheap.

[depakid]

5. 9 months late and $900 short

"they're not bad people."

Remember?

[Hekate]

9. Good. Let people see that Obama and Sebelius notice these shenanigans.

:kick: