Yesterday I received notice that California's biggest Health Insurer--Anthem Blue Cross--will be raising my health insurance rates a whopping +20%.
There has been no change in my health status, and I have not contracted cancer or any lethal disease. Nor have I had any surgery in the last year. Nor do I have any scheduled.
In my case, pharmaceutical price increases have no bearing, since my plan does not cover medications of any kind.
I suspect that all of Anthem BC's California members are receiving similar notices.
For the record, this is the kind of crap that was 100% predictable with the health care reform legislation, which Mandates that everyone purchase health insurance. Such a mandate automatically increases health insurance demand, which was guaranteed to increase prices.
It is now apparent that health insurers' money was well-spent, when they successfully defeated a Public Option--which would have allowed Americans to buy into a 100% enrollee-funded program administered by the Government--which would have used ~98% of enrollee payments to pay for medical care.
Corporate America has won another one.
Thanks for pushing this one through, Mr. President. I'm just tickled to death to pay more money each year into the Health Insurance Cartel/Cosa Nostra.
And in case anyone was wondering, reimbursements to physicians are declining. (I know from personal experience.)
And it's worth noting again, that only 4% of the health care dollar goes to paying physicians.
(~$100 billion out of the $2,500 billion.) The other 96% goes elsewhere (like to bribe legislators to pass legislation that enhances health insurers' profits.)