For SOME reason, the record profits announced this week by the five largest insurers

[Atticus]

haven't gotten much press. I believe the AVERAGE profit increase was 56%.

"Nothing to see here, folks. Move along!"

[SpiralHawk]

1. "YeeeHaw." - Corporate Crony Republicons Against Everything

eom

[ShockediSay]

2. Were these health insurance co.s?

Any links?

[IDemo]

3. ->

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Washington-Watch/18451

[lpbk2713]

21. So bankrolling the disruption of all those Town Hall Meetings really paid off for them.

In a BIG way evidently.

[Blue_Tires]

22. and the hundreds of millions spent on prime time TV ads

[Walk away]

4. It's incredible because they are losing millions of customers.

Those record profits were reported by the top 5 insurers as 2.7 million more Americans lost their insurance coverage due to the declining economy.

<http://www.nj.com/opinion/times/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1266738332222430.xml&coll=5>

[leftstreet]

8. It's a free market miracle!

Make more money by losing more customers!

:wtf:

[girl gone mad]

15. Tell me what other industry RAISES their prices when people stop buying their products?

Insurance is a scam and needs to be banned, not subsidized via mandates.

[FormerDittoHead]

23. Utilities.

In the Philly area (PSE&G is electricity+gas), after oil shot up (and the market made gas go up) they had to raise rates because people were cutting back their thermostats.

The question then, should be, what other industry IN A FREE AND OPEN MARKET raises their prices...

And that's one of those little conservative lies. They don't WANT free markets - they want to CONTROL markets.

[nightrain]

5. knr! and Obama wants to keep these disease management corporations as the

arbiters of health care? Get rid of these leeches.

Go for an improved, comprehensive, and affordable Medicare for All instead.

[John Q. Citizen]

19. Enough of coddling the criminals. Obama needs to get a clue! Single payer now!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. K and Rrrrrrrd. Stands to reason... the nation with one of the worst

longevity and infant mortality rates should produce record profits for the prophets of doom.

[bvar22]

7. Sounds like you are begrudging them their Millions!

Look at all the baseball players,
and HEY, its the "Free Market".

[Shandris]

10. When I go to a Dollar Store...

...I expect to pay a Dollar for anything in it. So what should I expect the price to be in a 'Free Market'? :hippie:

[progressoid]

9. God Bless America!!

[Greyhound]

11. This is the boring stuff that we don't care about. Nothing to see, indeed. K&R.

[Yurovsky]

12. They make money the old fashioned way...

they STEAL it...

[lonestarnot]

13. K & R!

[upi402]

14. "Because that's where the money is." -Willie Sutton

Never thought I'd see our health care system acting like bank robbers. But I think they're worse, actually. Callously forcing slow painful death on powerless people who have no options.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Looks like the politicians will get another raise.

[Hannah Bell]

17. i posted on it. it got about 5 comments. people are too busy with more important things.

like witches.

[flyarm]

18. K&R!!!!!!!!!

[KharmaTrain]

20. Cause Guess Who Benefits From Those Profits...

Look at how many AFLAC and Progressive and other insurance company commercial show up on your teevee. The networks need their money to hedge against all the other revenues lost with the crumbling consumer economy. The other day I read how Les Moonves who runs CBS is giddy about the SCOTUS ruling on eliminating any restrictions on how many millions candidates and special interests can throw at his network...he sees this election as a big cash cow.

Our corporate media is all about the Benjamins now...and you don't piss on those paying your way.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. Obama says they deserve those profits

of course he will not say why, just that they were somehow born with right to profit from the illnesses of others, no matter what, their profits must come first according to Obama. They deserve them, they do not need to earn them, they simply deserve them.

[Enthusiast]

27. If he doesn't say that

the Republicans will call him a socialist. We wouldn't want that. :sarcasm:

[w8liftinglady]

29. this may be the other reason

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=F09&cycle=2010&recipdetail=A&sortorder=U

[Enthusiast]

31. I know. I just didn't want to say it.

Beyond disgusting.

[SlingBlade]

25. Yep, Move Along.

[redqueen]

26. Of course not. Insurance companies buy lots of ad time. (nt)

[lib2DaBone]

28. Up 58%.. free markets at work , Yea. Trickle down is yellow..feels warm?

The goverment better keep their hands off my medicare... because this is a free country... I deserve my health Care Bankruptcy! And no one is gonna take it from me.

[Jefferson23]

30. Scum of the earth, and let's see how much longer our government

allows this to continue.