Health Reform in the House | Fact of the Day Employees with employer-sponsored health insurance will pay $4,023 on average in premiums and out-of-pocket charges this year, up 10% from 2009. (Hewitt Associates) | | Follow Health Insurance Reform
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At the Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $48,805,226,266 since January 1, 2009 in Additional Premium Costs to Cover Care for the Uninsured. Under the Microscope PERVASIVE DOUBLE-DIGIT RATE HIKES, YEAR AFTER YEAR At the request of the California Department of Insurance, Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to postpone insurance rate hikes of up to 30 percent for two months, until May, to allow time for an investigation. Unfortunately California isn’t the only state where Anthem is raising rates by at least twenty percent and Anthem isn’t the only insurance company raising rates by nearly a quarter or more this year. Further compounding this problem is the fact that these severe rate increases have been going on for years, underscoring why lowering costs, enhancing competition and cracking down on insurance industry abuses remain key goals of health insurance reform. Individual Insurance Rates Soar in 4 States
Consumers in at least four states who buy their own health insurance are getting hit with premium increases of 15 percent or more - and people in other states could see the same thing. [Associated Press, 2/12/2010] Other Insurers Raising Health Care Rates Too
Anthem Blue Cross customers may be hopping mad about their rate hikes, but members of other health insurers say they're also getting hit with sky-high increases.
[San Francisco Chronicle, 2/11/2010] Read the White House blog and Secretary Sebelius’ reaction to the recent Anthem developments.
Health Care Headlines Anthem To Delay Insurance Rate Hike Amid Criticism
Health insurer Anthem Blue Cross will postpone its much-criticized plan to raise rates for some California residents who buy insurance on their own, after reaching a deal Saturday with state regulators.
[Associated Press, 2/14/2010] In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance
When Bernhard Punzet opened the dreaded envelope from Anthem Blue Cross one recent Saturday, it ruined his weekend. [New York Times, 2/16/2010] Read or view a related piece. With Health-Care Reform Stalled, Debate Heats Up Regarding State Approaches
Proponents of leaving health-care reform to the states have gained momentum as national legislation stalls in Congress, setting off a new debate over who is best able to tackle one of the nation's thorniest social issues. [Washington Post, 2/14/2010] Republicans Spurn Once-Favored Health Mandate
For Republicans, the idea of requiring every American to have health insurance is one of the most abhorrent provisions of the Democrats' health overhaul bills. [NPR, 2/15/2010] Individual Mandate: A Sticking Point in the Healthcare Debate
Should the government force everyone to purchase health insurance? Few topics in the healthcare debate are more controversial than the so-called individual mandate, which would fine citizens without insurance and lies at the heart of the now-stalled healthcare bills in Congress. [L.A. Times, 2/16/2010] Let Health Insurance Cross State Lines, Some Say
As Republicans and Democrats claim to be searching for common ground in the health care debate, one idea that lawmakers on both sides seem to agree on is that health insurance should be sold across state lines.
[New York Times, 2/13/2010] OPINION: Both Parties Should Heed Warnings in Poll Results
By David S. Broder
There are warning signs to both parties in the latest Post-ABC News poll, and this should be a help as President Obama tries to spur a rebirth of bipartisanship in Washington. [Washington Post, 2/14/2010] | 