Health Insurers cutting their own throat

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The health insurance companies are attempting to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. In blatant price gouging across the country by numerous insurers the insurers are taking the chance of angering the voting Americans just when they seemed to have the government intervention into health care defeated. Can they be so greedy and arrogant that they can't wait a few months to fleece the sheep, apparently not.

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Health-care shocker: Policy-holder's premium goes up 69%
College-age kids get more than twice Anthem's average rate hike in California
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By Russ Britt, MarketWatch

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- While lawmakers and President Barack Obama are lamenting premium hikes of up to 39% that Anthem Blue Cross of California plans to charge policy-holders, Lori Creasey says that's nothing.

Try 69%.

Creasey, a Huntington Beach, Calif.-based attorney, said she received notices late last year for the two individual Anthem policies she bought for her college-age sons. For her 18-year-old son, Kyle, the monthly premium was climbing to $135 from $80, a 69% hike. Her 21-year-old, Walter, saw his premium jump to $139 from $84, a 65% increase.

COMPLETE STORY AT THIS LINK: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/health-care-shocker-policy-premium-goes-up-69-2010-02-19
 
Pretty much the latter, America is a pretty crazy place generally, it's only until 9/11 really that people have started noticing it.

All the religious nutters and war mongerers came out of the woodwork and an outsider hit their walls hard enough.
 
Seems so obvious to look at a conspiracy here. The companies want to be in a government plan. Then can lay so much off on the taxpayer and use corruption to fatten their pockets. They want all the people under their plans and are going to help get a second push from government takeover of health care through. While normally people think conspiracies are just nuts.... the corruption is just too blatant to think that way anymore. Follow the money. These companies are betting on you cavin in.
 
I think given the risk, health insurance premiums are pretty cheap.

Would YOU be willing for a grand a year in revenue, to payout a half million dollars if that 21 yo is in a motorcycle accident or shot? I wouldn't. And yes even 21 year old people can require expensive operations. So for basically the cost of a night out drinking each month an insurer covers you for a million bucks. Pretty good deal.
 
Quote from Lethn:

Pretty much the latter, America is a pretty crazy place generally, it's only until 9/11 really that people have started noticing it.

All the religious nutters and war mongerers came out of the woodwork and an outsider hit their walls hard enough.
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Ding! A winner!

9/11 forced the entire population of the United States onto one side or the other of a huge philosophical reality. Either you believe the USA was a victim or you believe otherwise. This bifurcation of society just sort of morphed into conservatism vs. liberalism with a far more rabid division than any of us are accustomed to.

I can't remember hating liberals before. Many of my friends are hard core libs from the city. But in recent years I've begun to loathe them and they are starting to hold me responsible for my conservative views. I've never seen this kind of polarization that actually touched people in there personal lives. I don't remember extremism like this since the 60s (Weathermen etc).

Makes me uneasy about the future when I perceive half the population intent on destroying the country and the other half muttering about revolution. People should be worried about making a living.

"The future ain't what it used to be".
 
Quote from HelloDollar:

I think given the risk, health insurance premiums are pretty cheap.

Would YOU be willing for a grand a year in revenue, to payout a half million dollars if that 21 yo is in a motorcycle accident or shot? I wouldn't. And yes even 21 year old people can require expensive operations. So for basically the cost of a night out drinking each month an insurer covers you for a million bucks. Pretty good deal.
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That's the crux of the problem. Health care is expensive.

At the end of the day, whether we have a private or public health insurance system, we all have to put a price on our own health.

Do you want to ration care for yourselves and loved ones in order to keep costs down? If we're willing to do that, we can keep costs contained.

Or do we put the pedal to the metal and pay for everything (and get the best care at the same time)? If we go that route, costs will keep going up.

There may be some cost savings if we can get some tort reforms and certainly there is a small amount of fraud/waste, although that will likely always be present.
 
health insurances are smart. they raise somebody's rate to 69% so that everybody else will shut up and be happy with only 39% rise.
 
Quote from clacy:

That's the crux of the problem. Health care is expensive.

At the end of the day, whether we have a private or public health insurance system, we all have to put a price on our own health.

Do you want to ration care for yourselves and loved ones in order to keep costs down? If we're willing to do that, we can keep costs contained.

Or do we put the pedal to the metal and pay for everything (and get the best care at the same time)? If we go that route, costs will keep going up.

There may be some cost savings if we can get some tort reforms and certainly there is a small amount of fraud/waste, although that will likely always be present.
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No to mention putting ppl under a larger group. Try getting coverage for a couple of employees, good luck.
 
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