Are Health Insurance Companies on Meth?

[TheNewWorldMan]

Health insurance rate hikes hitting California small businesses could hurt state's economic recovery - latimes.com

Rate hikes of up to 76%? In this economy?

This takes suicidal greed to a whole new level.

Yet they'll blame liberals when people finally get fed up with it and get the government to slap price controls on health care.

I'm not a big fan of price controls myself, but man oh man are these fat cats just begging for them with this kind of crap. These insurers are like a snot-nosed kid who runs around slapping and pinching everyone...then whines like a little girl all the way to the principal's office when someone finally gets tired of his nonsense and clocks him one.

Past time to clock 'em one, I say...

 

[mpok1519]

Amphetamines were the most widely prescribed drug in the fifties. And parts of the sixties I think...I dunno...they can't remember...

 

[KarateCowboy]

I saw this coming a loooooooooong time ago. The economically literate among us are not surprised. We saw this as an obvious consequence of the ObamaCare bill.

 

[TheNewWorldMan]

I saw this coming a loooooooooong time ago. The economically literate among us are not surprised. We saw this as an obvious consequence of the ObamaCare bill.

That argument might hold some water if health insurance premiums hadn't already been galloping upwards at way more than the rate of inflation long before Obama took office. So, nice try to pin this on Obama, but that dog won't hunt.

 

[Harpuia]

That argument might hold some water if health insurance premiums hadn't already been galloping upwards at way more than the rate of inflation long before Obama took office. So, nice try to pin this on Obama, but that dog won't hunt.

I actually agree with both of you on this one.

They didn't gallop THIS high when Bush was in office. The huge climb of insurance everything in Vegas went up because of the introduction of commercialization of... just about everything.

But the problem with ObamaCare is that he wasn't forceful and specific enough with protecting the working and middle class. Do that, combine it with requiring everyone to get health care, and the end result? Healthcare prices shoot up to the sky.

I'm surprised it was only 76%.

I'm convinced there's only two answers. Total freedom to do what they want, or total control. You can either let the people decide the price for them, or let the government squeeze the money out of them.

 

[TeaPartier]

Maybe because their costs are going to go up significantly under Obamacare?
You need to show that their underwriting margins have increased to prove greed. If they think their costs are going to go up, they are just increasing their reserves so they can pay claims and still stay in business.

You are saying these companies are on amphetamines. People who think that the government can tack on additional costs without any negative consequences are smoking something.

 

[mpok1519]

Can one make tax claims saying "awww Maan, the govt made me do it!"?

Seriously; healthcare needs a simpler way to work with the funds it needs: Liiiike, cutting the defense budget by two percent.

 

[Toot La-Rue]

Health insurance rate hikes hitting California small businesses could hurt state's economic recovery - latimes.com

Rate hikes of up to 76%? In this economy?

This takes suicidal greed to a whole new level.

Yet they'll blame liberals when people finally get fed up with it and get the government to slap price controls on health care.

I'm not a big fan of price controls myself, but man oh man are these fat cats just begging for them with this kind of crap. These insurers are like a snot-nosed kid who runs around slapping and pinching everyone...then whines like a little girl all the way to the principal's office when someone finally gets tired of his nonsense and clocks him one.

Past time to clock 'em one, I say...

I think a generic "I told you so.." is apt right about now.

 

[Schneiderman]

I'm definitely gonna go for the "I told you so".

Yeah, those darn evil insurance companies, we'll show them, we'll make it so EVERYONE has to buy from them and they can't deny them coverage! That'll teach'em to try and make a profit. And nothing can possibly go wrong!

Hope and change! Woo go Obama!

 

[Toot La-Rue]

That argument might hold some water if health insurance premiums hadn't already been galloping upwards at way more than the rate of inflation long before Obama took office. So, nice try to pin this on Obama, but that dog won't hunt.

Dude, who do you think were in FAVOR of Obamacare? I mean, c'mon! It's their golden goose for pity's sake!

 

[Umaro]

Why can't we just have universal health care like the rest of the world? I'm getting tired of being left out. I would even have settled for a public option...

 

[jgarden]

I suspect that WHEN (not IF) Obama is re-elected in 2012 he will revisit healthcare and introduce the public opinion. Maybe this time he will do a better job at "selling" his program and put the conservatives on the defensive!

 

[TeaPartier]

I suspect that WHEN (not IF) Obama is re-elected in 2012 he will revisit healthcare and introduce the public opinion. Maybe this time he will do a better job at "selling" his program and put the conservatives on the defensive!

Obama will not be relected-his favorability ratings are about the same as GW had at the end of his presidency.

 

[TheNewWorldMan]

Why can't we just have universal health care like the rest of the world? I'm getting tired of being left out. I would even have settled for a public option...

Because then we would become evil communists and have to fly this flag over the Swedish and Norwegian-style death camps:

 

[TheNewWorldMan]

Obama will not be relected-his favorability ratings are about the same as GW had at the end of his presidency.

Possibly. But who is going to take his place?

Superman?

Who will the Republicans put out there that can make those starter homes appreciate 8% a year, refill those oilfields and eliminate the national debt in one fell swoop?

How long until the people turn on the Republican winner in 2012 when they realize that he or she can't bring back easy motoring and eternal growth?

 

[jgarden]

Obama will not be relected-his favorability ratings are about the same as GW had at the end of his presidency.

I'm sure that the GOP has a stable full of topnotch presidential candidates who will make Obama look "pale" in comparison - the only problem is nobody knows who they are!

The country can't have another Republican president getting it into more wars until the Democrats finish extracting the nation out of the ones they're already in

 

[Schneiderman]

Why can't we just have universal health care like the rest of the world? I'm getting tired of being left out. I would even have settled for a public option...

Why can't people accept responsibility for their own lives? If you love the rest of the world so much why can't you just leave America and go to wherever it is that you think America should emulate? Why can't you see that not all Americans want America to be anything like the rest of the world?

There is not a single other country in the world that I want to live in. I want to live in America. But I don't want America to start looking more like the rest of the world. If I wanted to live the lifestyle of a different country I would MOVE TO THAT COUNTRY.

 

[Schneiderman]

I suspect that WHEN (not IF) Obama is re-elected in 2012 he will revisit healthcare and introduce the public opinion. Maybe this time he will do a better job at "selling" his program and put the conservatives on the defensive!

Obama will not be relected-his favorability ratings are about the same as GW had at the end of his presidency.

Possibly. But who is going to take his place?

Superman?

Who will the Republicans put out there that can make those starter homes appreciate 8% a year, refill those oilfields and eliminate the national debt in one fell swoop?

How long until the people turn on the Republican winner in 2012 when they realize that he or she can't bring back easy motoring and eternal growth?

I'm sure that the GOP has a stable full of topnotch presidential candidates who will make Obama look "pale" in comparison - the only problem is nobody knows who they are!

The country can't have another Republican president getting it into more wars until the Democrats finish extracting the nation out of the ones they're already in

Republicans and Democrats spend all of their energy trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule, and they both always succeed.

There is not a single good candidate that could possibly come out of a two party system. The two party system got us where we are and it is not going to get us out.

 

[Tunderz]

I don't know if the problem is as much the two-party system as it is the inordinate, insane size and allure of power our government offers the two parties. When power outweighs principle, as it clearly does now, it doesn't really matter how many parties we have - all will be equally drawn, not by serving, but in being served.

 

[variant]

What did people think was going to happen.

They made it so the insurance industry had to cover people with pre-existing conditions.

They made it so that the insurance industry had no right to cap lifetime premiums.

They made it so that everyone was expected to purchase insurance (but not right away), they can purchase it when they get sick now for the next couple of years, and not pay premiums from now till then.

They did nothing about prices except capping them at a fairly large percentage of income, which was a major increase for the people who currently pay the least (young healthy people).

In massachutsets where this plan has been tried already, the costs have gone up.

No real need for a crystal ball here kids, a bit of common sense will do.