These latest rate increases in California--reportedly the largest ever by Blue Cross for individual policyholders in the state--are yet another powerful example of how badly broken our health care system is and how desperately we need to hold Big Insurance accountable for exploiting their customers.
Anthem Blue Cross's parent company made record profits last year despite losing 1.4 million customers--increasing their profit margins by cherrypicking the healthiest people to insure.4
Then they can turn around and dramatically increase the rates they charge to the customers they've kept, because there are almost no rules governing rate increases. In fact, the company doesn't even have to publicly reveal how many customers' rates they've increased, or by how much.
The good news is that Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services, is already publicly demanding answers from the company. And the House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced plans to hold hearings to investigate.
But to get Anthem to clean up their act--and show politicians and the media that we can't afford any more abuses by Big Insurance--we all need to lend our voices. Clicking here will add your name to the petition:
http://pol.moveon.org/bluecross/o.pl?id=18941-9291205-kqkAqBx&t=5
Thanks for all you do.
Kat, Michael, Carrie, Stephen, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1."Anthem Blue Cross to delay rate increases," The Los Angeles Times, February 14, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86473&id=18941-9291205-kqkAqBx&t=6
2. "Anthem Blue Cross dramatically raising rates for Californians with individual health policies," The Los Angeles
Times, February 4, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86432&id=18941-9291205-kqkAqBx&t=7
"WellPoint sees profit grow eightfold in fourth quarter," The Los Angeles Times, January 28, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86433&id=18941-9291205-kqkAqBx&t=8
3. "Sebelius Calls on Anthem Blue Cross to Publicly Justify 39 Percent Premium Increase," U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, February 8, 2010
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100208c.html
"Congress opens probe into Anthem Blue Cross rate increases," The Los Angeles Times, February 10, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86434&id=18941-9291205-kqkAqBx&t=9
4. "Waxman and Stupak to WellPoint: We Request Your Testimony," Office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, February
9, 2010
http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=2149
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