Posted on 03/06/2010 3:53:06 AM PST by reaganaut1
President Barack Obama attacked the country's biggest health insurers on Saturday for failing to give him a "straight answer" on why they were "arbitrarily and massively" hiking their premiums.
Obama's renewed criticism of insurers comes as he tries to rally support among Americans and lawmakers within his own Democratic Party for a final push to pass a bill reforming the troubled $2.5 trillion healthcare industry.
The president and his health secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, met the chief executives of four of the largest U.S. health insurance companies -- Aetna Inc, Cigna Corp, UnitedHealth Group Inc and WellPoint Inc -- at the White House this week.
"They couldn't give me a straight answer as to why they keep arbitrarily and massively raising premiums -- by as much as 60 percent in states like Illinois," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.
"If we do not act, they will continue to do this."
Insurers say they must raise rates to cover skyrocketing healthcare costs at a time when more people are dropping coverage because of financial hardship. Higher costs are then spread among a smaller pool of paying customers, they say.
Insurance companies have been a favorite target as Obama tries to convince Americans, who have mixed feelings about his planned healthcare overhaul, they will be better off if Congress passes his ambitious plan.
"The proposal we've put forward would end the worst practices of the insurance industry, lower costs for millions of Americans and give uninsured individuals and small business the same kind of choice of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves," Obama said.
The overhaul, designed to cut costs, regulate insurers and expand coverage to tens of millions of Americans, is Obama's signature domestic policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
You forgot "shameless".
I’d like a few straight answers too...such as how much is this death care going to cost us taxpayers? A lot of evzsiveness from this guy. He can talk for hours and not say a damm thing.
OK. Where's the COLB?
And Obie disputes this fundamental law of markets, supply and demand???
****health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves,” Obama said.*****
They get it for themselves that we, the people, pay for!!!
And if you think about the average age & health problems -that is one high risk group! i.e.
Lautenberg, Murtha, Kennedy, Assa,
Fine. Yes, your wife looks like a mutated sasquatch. Are you happy now?
Give a brother a hand out, eh???
Who has "mixed feelings" about Obama's "HC Overhaul?" (Oh, it's an "overhaul" now?)
Pelosi has stated she will not try to shove the bitter pill of Obozo Care down our throats. Besides, it’s a suppository.
Just checked Webster’s...definition of hypocrisy: 0bama demanding ‘straight answers’ from ANYBODY...
Arbitrary rate hikes? Nothing arbitrary about it. The continued destruction of the US economy by the LibTards and socialists cut millions of jobs. Many of those jobs carried insurance benefits. Smaller pool of paying customers, but increasing costs lead to higher premiums. In addition, there may be a bit of ‘pre-planning’ involved. These business execs aren’t stupid. They can see continued cost increases coming. They wouldn’t be the first industry to raise prices in advance of expected cost increases...
Of course, the TRUTH has little bearing on the 0bamunists unless it works in their favor.
It’s time to take back the country.
Blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda (yawn) heard it all before and so has everyone in the entire country, ad nauseum. All of this is show and everyone knows it...wait, I’m sorry, it’s early and I forgot for a moment that a goodly number of our fellow citizens are MORONS and they’d have a hard time getting to ten on their fingers.
Pray and call, pray and email, pray and call, pray and email...
STOP THE BEAST!!!!
As a common, everyday, ordinary citizen, Obama has every right to demand a straight answer from the insurance companies (just as they have a right to give it — or refuse to). As President, abusing the powers of the office, he does not. The Dark Night is once again abusing his powers.
Well, 0bie, let's look at the obvious. If one is unhappy with a company's behavior they should just go on the internet and search for companies in other States for a plan more designed for their needs and economic situation.....OH WAIT...THEY CAN'T!!!
Everybody knows that since Zero didn’t get single payer health care, the idea is to saddle health insurance companies with rules such forcing them to accept people with previous conditions, limiting how much premiums can go up, and not allowing different premiums for different risk groups.
Then after the insurance companies go bankrupt, then the government can step in and say ‘see, we have to have a single payer system. The private sector isn’t up to the task.’
Hey, Barack - who died and made you king? Insurance companies are private businesses and owe you nothing. You can check their financial information on Yahoo if you wish, but enough of your arrogance and condescension.
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