Health-care shocker: Policy-holder's premium goes up 69%

[marmar]

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

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.

"I was kind of shocked when I got (them)," Creasey said.

Anthem's notices, dated Dec. 4, said that "periodically, it is necessary to adjust our health-coverage rates," and were signed by James E. Oatman, vice president and general manager of individual services for Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Co.

Recent reports said the company planned to raise its rates up to 39%, and Anthem had said the average increase stood at 25%. But this development, with rates increasing at a much greater percentage than that, raises questions about the extent of Anthem's planned price hikes in California. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/health-care-shocker-policy-premium-goes-up-69-2010-02-19

[old mark]

1. Mine is going up, too...It was $245 a month. Mar 1st it will be $600.

July 1st it will be $629.
This is PA state sponsored health insurance for retired or others not yet eligible for Medicare, but with limited income. The announcement came at the end of last month, and I am certain thousands can no longer afford to be insured.

mark

[BlueJazz]

2. Also, James E. Oatman, vice president Anthem Blue Cross Life Health Insurance....

...said: "Our profits for last year were sorely under what we expected"

"We predicted at least 5.2 billion...instead we had to settle for the paltry amount of 5.1 billion."
"I mean,,what else can we do??...our hands are tied"

[FreakinDJ]

4. Can't wait for the RATpubliCON response - "We need more Deregulation"

As if their FAILED Policies didn't get us in this mess in the 1st place

[Mari333]

3. Thieves. PUBLIC OPTION NEEDS TO PASS

PUT THE THIEVES OUT OF BUSINESS.

[endless october]

5. single payer.

i don't see how we can use the source of the problem as the solution to the problem. the health insurance industry has jumped the shark.