As health costs soar, GOP and insurers differ on cause

[spanone]

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Workers at a circuit-board factory here just saw their health insurance premiums rise 20 percent. At Buddy Zaremba’s print shop nearby, the increase was 37 percent. And for engineers at the Woodland Design Group, they rose 43 percent.

The new federal health care law may eventually “bend the cost curve” downward, as proponents argue. But for now, at many workplaces here, the rising cost of health care is prompting insurance premiums to skyrocket while coverage is shrinking.

As Congress continues to debate the new health care law, health insurance costs are still rising, particularly for small businesses. Republicans are seizing on the trend as evidence that the new law includes expensive features that are driving up premiums. But the insurance industry says premiums are rising primarily because of the underlying cost of care and a growing demand for it.

Across the country, premiums have more than doubled in the last decade, with smaller companies particularly hard hit in recent years, federal officials say.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41918624/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/#

[ananda]

1. Gawd.

It was the Reeps and the Blue Dogs that forced the lousy compromise
we have for a healthcare bill now.

If anything, the Reeps will only make it much much worse.

We all be speaking out for something much much better instead...
like seriously regulated single payer.

[notadmblnd]

2. The cause- why it's greed.

Nothing more, nothing less.

[TheKentuckian]

3. This why the MLR is worthless, it will only encourage an increase in systemic costs

Insurance is a river dipper industry anyway. The percentage of the economy going through their hands will be forced upward. Reduce their bucket size and the logical reaction is to divert more water.

Anyone who thinks facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, durable equipment, labs, and providers won't work with the insurance cartel to increase cost has missed capitalism 101.

[Fearless]

4. Single Payer Option. n/t

[customerserviceguy]

6. It's the only way

Everything else just lets it keep getting worse. There were no cost controls whatsoever in the HCR bill from last year, this was the predictable result.

[uppityperson]

5. They have cause/effect backwards. Good grief

"the rising cost of health care is prompting insurance premiums to skyrocket while coverage is shrinking."

Insurance premiums are skyrocketing, CEOs of ins co's making more than ever while health care providers incomes continue to drop. So...let's think. Which is driving which up?

[underpants]

7. 1% attributable to the federal law

Some insurance industry lobbyists say the new federal health care law is driving up premiums. But Vincent Capozzi, senior vice president for sales and customer service at Harvard Pilgrim, said that only one percentage point of the increases here was attributable to the federal law, mainly its requirement for free coverage of preventive services.



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