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| Topic: Going down ... ! Next stop, Basement. | |
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Edited by
Kings_Knight
on
Tue 04/13/10 07:40 AM
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One of the specious 'arguments' made in favor of 'DeathCare' was that it would 'lower premiums' and make 'deathcare' 'more affordable' [sic] to 'the poor' and the 'illegals' - or, as Harry Reid calls them, 'undocumented Americans'. Anyone possessed of two neurons capable of firing sequentially knew that was impossible, but the 'true believer' and 'Gullible's Travels' types kept insisting it would, it would, 'cuz it was 'change we can believe in.' Sure it was - in much the same way that cyanide is a necessary ingredient for living a long and happy life. Even that nice Miz Pelossini said that, before we, the rabble, the 'great unwashed', could know ANYthing about what was actually IN the bill, they had to PASS it first ... and the 'true believers' said 'Thank you ma'm. May I have another?' ... Now they've been given another. Time to pay for what you inflicted on us, chumps.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-health-premiums13-2010apr13,0,6096091.story Healthcare overhaul won't stop premium increases The new law doesn't prevent rate hikes such as Anthem Blue Cross' double-digit increase last year. 'It is a very big loophole,' says Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is pushing regulatory legislation. By Noam N. Levey | April 13, 2010 Public outrage over double-digit rate hikes for health insurance may have helped push President Obama's healthcare overhaul across the finish line, but the new law does not give regulators the power to block similar increases in the future. And now, with some major companies already moving to boost premiums and others poised to follow suit, millions of Americans may feel an unexpected jolt in the pocketbook. Although Democrats promised greater consumer protection, the overhaul does not give the federal government broad regulatory power to prevent increases. Many state governments -- which traditionally had responsibility for regulating insurance companies -- also do not have such authority. And several that do are now being sued by insurance companies. "It is a very big loophole in health reform," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said. Feinstein and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) are pushing legislation to expand federal and state authority to prevent insurance companies from boosting rates excessively. At least in the short term, regulators will be able to do little more than require insurers to publicly explain why they want to raise rates. Consumer advocates think that will not be an effective deterrent against premium increases such as the 39% hike that Anthem Blue Cross sent some California customers last year. "The irony here is that it was the Anthem rate increase that breathed new life into the healthcare bill," said Jerry Flanagan, medical policy director of Consumer Watchdog, a longtime supporter of tougher premium regulation. "But there is nothing in this bill to guarantee that it doesn't happen again." The lack of muscle is stoking concerns that more rate jumps -- and an angry backlash from ratepayers -- could undermine support for implementing the healthcare overhaul. |
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