Oh boy, do elections matter! Look what Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services is doing:
In a rare step, the Obama administration called on California's largest for-profit insurer to justify its rate hikes, saying the increases were alarming at a time when subscribers face skyrocketing healthcare costs.
...The insurer should give a 'detailed justification' for its plan to raise premiums on individual policies by as much as 39%, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says.
You bet your bippies they should! Alas, I suspect the reply will meet with some mysterious mailroom demise and all we'll get is this drivel passed off as an excuse:
Anthem said its costs have been driven up in part because the weak economy has led many people in good health to forgo coverage, leaving those with greater medical needs in its pool of customers.
Oddly enough, that was about the only statement anybody could get out of Anthem, or its parent company, WellPoint. Lots of folks pulling the old Palin "I'll get back to you on that." See, while Sebelius was going after Anthem, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner was going after WellPoint:
"The premium increases Anthem proposes for critically needed individual health insurance could have a devastating financial impact on hundreds of thousands of its policyholders in California," Poizner wrote. "The Department has received numerous complaints from irate Californians describing how Anthem's proposed rate increases would cripple them financially."
And gee, whaddayaknow, they'll just have to get back to you on that, Charlie Steve. They shouldn't bother, of course, because they'll only dig themselves in deeper. Sebelius and Poizner are pulling no punches. From their respective letters:
California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner asked Anthem's parent company, Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc., to delay its rate increases until May 1 while an independent actuary, appointed by the state, could review them.
Poizner said in his letter to WellPoint's chief executive and chairman that he would stop Anthem's rate increases if the actuary determines that the insurer spends less than 70% of its premiums on benefits, as required by state law.
...Sebelius said Anthem's "strong financial position" made the increases "even more difficult to understand." She cited recent profit reported by its parent, WellPoint. Last month Wellpoint announced an eightfold increase in profit for the last three months of 2009, a surge attributed largely to the sale of subsidiaries.
Teehee! You've got to love Sebelius' subtlety. Unless you're Anthem/WellPoint, I suppose; then it might not be so amusing. If you're Anthem/WellPoint, your comedic stylings are categorically limited to the "unintentional hilarity" variety. Like when they try to peddle this and other folderol:
"We regret the impact this has on our members," it said of its rate hikes. "It highlights why we need sustainable healthcare reform to manage the steadily rising costs of hospitals, drugs and doctors. As such, it is important to go back to the beginning and get healthcare reform done right."
I'm really not sure which is worse: the crocodile tears of their "regret" or the fact that they presumably thought anybody would buy their concern troll shtick. And make no mistake: that statement is 100% bona fide concern troll. Look at it!
It highlights why we need sustainable healthcare reform to manage the steadily rising costs of hospitals, drugs and doctors. As such, it is important to go back to the beginning and get healthcare reform done right.
Didja catch that? WellPoint wants to reset health care reform and start over. Now why does that sound so familiar...oh yah, hey! Scrapping what we have and starting over was one of the GOP demands for participating in Obama's health care reform summit.
But insurance companies just looooooooove this gimme of a bill, donchyaknow! That salivating surge right around the time of Brown's election had nothing to do with him being the 41st vote against health care reform, goodness no! It was just the centerfold. Yeah...that's the ticket.
I hold out hope they will get the chance to know actual regret, thanks to an unsung provision in the Manager's amendment of the Senate bill:
‘‘(A) IN 1 GENERAL.—The Exchange shall require health plans seeking certification as qualified health plans to submit to the Exchange, the Secretary, the State insurance commissioner, and make available to the public, accurate and timely disclosure of the following information:
(i) Claims payment policies and practices.
(ii) Periodic financial disclosures.
(iii) Data on enrollment.
(iv) Data on disenrollment.
(v) Data on the number of claims that are denied.
(vi) Data on rating practices.
(vii) Information on cost-sharing and payments with respect to any out-of-network coverage.
(viii) Information on enrollee and participant rights under this title.
(ix) Other information as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
If I were a greedy, rapacious and malignant entity like Anthem/WellPoint, I don't think I'd be a big believer in "all publicity is good publicity" right about now. Catching Sebelius' eye in this manner does not bode well for them, methinks. It's hardly clever to draw the ire of the very person who can shut you out of participation in the Exchanges, now is it?
If you happen to be with Anthem/WellPoint, won't you drop their Customer Service department a note? Even if you're not in California; let them know their infamous reputation is on full display for all the world to see. If there's an office local to you, see if you can't stage a Billionaires for Wealthcare event at their building.
Most importantly, no matter where you are, write letters to the editor every time you read a story along these lines. These jackals need to be called out for it every time and it always makes for a great excuse opportunity to underscore how desperately needed insurance reform is. Standing offer: I edit for a living and will help anybody write/proofread any LTE on any subject, any time I can.
And with that, I believe we've all got some phone calls to make.
pee ess: Be sure not to miss this fantastic comment. It seems Sebelius has a bit of history with Anthem. In the good way.