[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/20/art.vaccine.gi.jpg caption ="In some states, health care costs are increasing, in spite of new laws aimed at cutting costs."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Democratic candidates up for election are spending three times more advertising against President Obama's health care law than they are for it.
The president told Americans over and over again during the heated health care debate reform would mean lower health care costs. But so far, the opposite is happening.
Let's start with California, where regulators have now cleared all four of the state's major insurers for rate hikes. These four companies control 90 percent of California's individual health insurance policies.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Aetna was the last company to be approved, with rate hikes averaging 19 percent.
The company is defending the rate, saying they're necessary to keep up with rising health care costs – like hospital care, prescription drugs and doctor's visits.
They say the maximum increase for some of its members will be 30 percent. Thirty percent! Some policy holders are rightfully worried that they soon won't be able to afford health insurance.
Meanwhile, in Connecticut, regulators have approved rate hikes of more than 20 percent for the state's largest health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
The Hartford Courant reports increases will vary depending on the plan, but costs will go up due to rising medical costs and the benefits from health care reform. This includes things like covering young adults until they turn 26 and covering the full cost of preventive care like mammograms and colonoscopies.
These rate changes mostly affect new customers buying individual plans, not those who are already insured through an employer.
Here’s my question to you: Do you think your health care costs will rise under Pres. Obama's new health care law?
Interested to know which ones made it to air?
huck
It's sure looking that way. This is what happens when you only do a job halfway. Republicans should have put their country ahead of themselves and allowed the bill to pass as intended. Democrats 'forcing' this bill through should have gone the full nine-yards or not done it at all. Thanks a lot guys, your inane bickering once again comes back to hurt all Americans.
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Jorge in New Mexico
Jack, I don't know if you're being disingenuous or not, but almost none of the health reform law takes effect until 2014 (which was a mistake in its own right). All those rate hikes and increased costs you mention are happening under the old system, the one Obama wanted to change and the one Republicans and some conservative Democrats want to keep. If anything, all these rate hikes argue FOR reform, not against it. Although reform might make a convenient scapegoat for the insurance companies as they go about their annual gouging of their customers.
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Lori in Pennsylvania
Jack, In all of the debates about the health care reform bill, I never once heard that anything would be done about how much health insurance companies could, and would, charge. Under Obama's health care law, with health insurance companies having to accept people with pre-existing conditions, of course they will use that as a reason to, once again, up health insurance rates.
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Al
Yes, but not as much as they would without the law.
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David
Absolutely. Jack, you cannot add coverage and risk and not see costs rise. I mean, I learned this in the 7th grade.
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Elyce
Last year our health insurance went up 25% and we are under a federal employee health insurance plan. I am scared what this year will bring.