Who do I turn this guy in to?

[SHRED]

We had representatives from Kaiser and Anthem at work to review the health reform impact.

A pretty generic meeting until the Anthem guy said at the end, and I am paraphrasing, "There are really no cost containments so we really can't predict prices however these additional mandated coverage enhancements drive up the cost".

This is a direct violation of this:

"There will be zero tolerance for this type of misinformation and unjustified rate increases," Sibelius warned in a letter to Karen Ignagni, the top lobbyist for the insurance industry. "We will not stand idly by as insurers blame their premium hikes and increase profits on the requirement that they provide consumers with basic protections."

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/09/health_insurance_costs.html#ixzz114Mx15Dv

What does "zero tolerance" mean and who do I turn to?

---------------


Here is our workplace premium hike history.

BC = Blue Cross (Anthem)



Percentage Increase in Rates (one decrease year for Kaiser in '07)

2002
BC 11.5%
Kaiser 11.07%

2003
BC 11.0%
Kaiser 6.7%

2004
BC 10.6%
Kaiser 11.9%

sidenote for 2004:
"The Insurance Committee reviewed a variety of Health and Dental options presented by the City’s benefit broker that included proposed increases of 23.7% for Kaiser and 15.5% for both the Blue Cross HMO and POS. Several alternative proposals were structured to help contain the rising costs of health insurance and presented to the Insurance Committee."

2005
BC 6.5%
Kaiser 7.5%

2006
BC 3.0%
Kaiser 3.0%

2007
BC 7.0%
Kaiser -2.75%

2008
BC 4.35%
Kaiser 14.80%

2009
BC 6.8%
Kaiser 18.9%

2010
BC 10.65%
Kaiser 9.2%

2011
BC 9.0%
Kaiser 12.1%

[flamingdem]

1. Please update on this nt

[SHRED]

10. I will

[davidinalameda]

2. you local HHS office

call the feds

[meeshrox]

3. That's appalling! Are those increases from year to year?

Since I don't have any details about your business, this should be a good place to start! They must have a reporting section...

http://www.healthcare.gov/foryou/employers/index.html

There may be help with HHS.gov, not sure though! Good luck and go get em!

[SHRED]

5. I work for a City of about 50,000 population...

...here in SoCal.

[SHRED]

8. yes...year to year...compounded of course

[jillan]

4. Here - try this

http://www.hhs.gov/ContactUs.html

There's a phone number all the way towards the bottom. I would definitely call this in. The only way we can hold these insurance companies feet to the fire is by patriots like you who are witnessing the lies.

Good luck, and please keep us updated.

[SHRED]

6. I will call tomorrow...thanks

[NYC_SKP]

7. I signed up at Anthem in July. This week they sent a DIFFERENT card with bigger co-pay.

No explaination, just the message "destroy the card you have and carry this one".

Old card: $10 copay.

New card: $20 copay.

What's up with that?

:shrug:

[SHRED]

9. contact them and find out why

[Recovered Repug]

11. Call me a cynic, but

I think the real questions will ultimately be: What does "unjustified rate increases" mean and who decides it?

[SHRED]

12. good point

[flyarm]

13. yeah it is like REASONABLE and CUSTOMARY.. it means the insurance big boys won't pay a big portion

of the bill! And all they have to do is say, the bill is Not Reasonable and Customary! And you have no recourse.

I have been asking my insurance carriers for the 10 years that this began showing up..what the fuck does that mean..they have zero answers!

So what is reasonable and customary in say Kansas City..is not reasonable in Calif or NY in fact it will be a whole shit load higher! So if some with your company live in Nebraska..and some in LA or NY..the LA and NY people get fucked! And the insurance corps don't give a rats ass about those who live in Higher priced areas of the country where medical care is much higher!

I have had the same insurance for 35 years, this reasonable and customary just came about approx 10 years ago..the prices for the insurance didn't go down..only the coverage!

Now every doctor bill comes back from the Insurance Corp with all kinds of exclusions of payment all under the umbrella of Reasonable and customary!

What a fucking joke..and it is not getting better..in fact with this new mandated bill..my coverage will be much lessssssss...than it has been for 35 years!

[Kringle]

14. there are no cost controls, get used to it .nt