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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Health insurers in Rhode Island are seeking double-digit increases in the premiums that individuals and small businesses will pay for coverage next year — the largest increases in years — as the federal health care law takes full effect.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, the state's dominant insurer, has proposed an average increase of 18 percent for individuals and nearly 15 percent for small groups.
This has nothing to do with Obama you geniuses. First of all, healthcare costs have been increasing for decades. Second, if you actually examine facts instead of being swayed by rhetoric you would know the deficit recently went DOWN due (in part) to the ACA. The Teatards in the House even had to kick their annual debt ceiling tantrum down the road due to this simple, highly obvious fact.
I have a very sad truth to fill you people in on: Insurance Companies are BUSINESSES. They are in it for PROFIT, not to take care of you. They will use any excuse or smokescreen as a reason to raise premiums. And there's enough overly-emotional and under informed people who think the ACA is the second coming of Chairman Mao that they can use this as an excuse to raise rates.
The fact of the matter is, a single payer system is the only way you are going to cut out the scams these companies run to raise their premiums. And that would mean (gasp!), expanding Medicare (which all the old people relentlessly praise) to every citizen. But that's socialism; When it was Romneycare in Massachusetts, which by the way, people are really liking.
Have a great night!
Last edited by CaseyB; 05-25-2013 at 06:20 PM..
Reason: language
The insurers say the health law is adding between 2 percent and nearly 6 percent to next year's premiums. That could spike in future years, they say, when a program expires that helps insurers cover the sickest individuals.
"There are taxes associated with the Affordable Care Act, and those are included," said Blue Cross CFO Michael Hudson. "At the end of the day, in any business, the customer pays for everything. That includes taxes.
The Insurers Say. Oh, well alrighty then! I may as well just trust them! After all, what incentive could they possible have to raise rates? (Which they were actually already doing even before Obamacare if you've been paying attention.) It's funny to me how you (rightfully) choose to be skeptical and inquisitive about government, but when it comes to private businesses you're like a sheep to the slaughter. Do you honestly believe Blue Cross does not quite frequently raise their premiums by 2-6 percent? They've been doing it looooong before Obamacare turned us all into Karl Marx worshipping Pelosibots.
Anyway:
The report did not make similar estimates for employer plans, the mainstay for workers and their families. That's because the primary impact of Obama's law is on people who don't have coverage through their jobs.
The administration questions the design of the study, saying it focused only on one piece of the puzzle and ignored cost relief strategies in the law such as tax credits to help people afford premiums and special payments to insurers who attract an outsize share of the sick. The study also doesn't take into account the potential price-cutting effect of competition in new state insurance markets that will go live on Oct. 1, administration officials said.
So in other words, people who already have health insurance will not be affected, and people who did not have insurance will finally get their chance. Also, conducting a study in a vacuum is never advisable if you want to actually garner reliable information.
Now does any of this stop Blue Cross from trying to raise rates on companies? Of course not, they did it two years ago and now they are trying to do it again. But to immediately scream "OBAMACARE!" lacking any context whatsoever is utterly ridiculous.
‘‘It makes an untruth out of what the president said, that if you like your insurance, you could keep it,’’ said Joe Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. ‘‘That is not going to be true for millions of workers now.’’
The insurers say the health law is adding between 2 percent and nearly 6 percent to next year's premiums. That could spike in future years, they say, when a program expires that helps insurers cover the sickest individuals.
"There are taxes associated with the Affordable Care Act, and those are included," said Blue Cross CFO Michael Hudson. "At the end of the day, in any business, the customer pays for everything. That includes taxes.
Oh, well, if insurance companies say it, then it must be true.
‘‘It makes an untruth out of what the president said, that if you like your insurance, you could keep it,’’ said Joe Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. ‘‘That is not going to be true for millions of workers now.’’
So what you're saying is Obama screwed Unions? Could you pretty please take that message to all your Tea Party friends so their heads can all collectively explode? That would be awesome.
The insurers say the health law is adding between 2 percent and nearly 6 percent to next year's premiums. That could spike in future years, they say, when a program expires that helps insurers cover the sickest individuals.
"There are taxes associated with the Affordable Care Act, and those are included," said Blue Cross CFO Michael Hudson. "At the end of the day, in any business, the customer pays for everything. That includes taxes.
And what do the insurers say every other year they give us a hike? (The headline says double digit, but this says the health law is adding between 2 to 6 percent. That's not double digits and is probably less than mine usually goes up)
If the ACA is so bad for their business, why did they support it? Because they did, unlike the way they fought Clinton's health care reform plan. It's just convenient that they can point the finger at someone else this time.
All the 20 somethings who don't bother getting insurance now have to - that's a lot of extra money in their pocket from people who don't generally need medical care.
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