Taking their lead from Wall Street bankers in the credit card industry, Anthem Blue Cross of California raised its rates by as much as 39% for 800,000 individual policyholders, effective March 1, 2010.
The gangster rate hike will be in effect long before the proposed healthcare reform bill is copied in triplicate on Capitol Hill, assuming it actually passes at all.
Late and a dollar short as usual, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius complained and fired off a toothless saber rattling letter on behalf of the Obama administration.
“With so many families already affected by rising costs, I was very disturbed to learn through media accounts that Anthem Blue Cross plans to raise premiums for its California customers by as much as 39%,” Sebelius wrote to company President Leslie Margolin.
Anthem spokeswoman Peggy Hinz said the Woodland Hills-based company had not yet received Sebelius’ letter, but that it would issue a statement as soon as it arrived.
With the Obama administration investing over a year on healthcare reform legislation, that is still not complete, can we just assume, Anthem will say, You Snooze, you lose.
