Who woulda thunk it?
Premiums jump 14 percent on Medicare private plansTo make AP's report slightly more accurate, (our words):
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP, 19 Feb. 2010
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100219/ap_on_bi_ge/us_medicare_costs
WASHINGTON – Millions of seniors who signed up for popular private health plans through Medicare are facing sharp premium increases this year — another sign that spiraling costs are a problem even for those with solid insurance.
A study released Friday by a major consulting firm found that premiums for Medicare Advantage plans offering medical and prescription drug coverage jumped 14.2 percent on average in 2010, after an increase of only 5.2 percent the previous year. Some 8.5 million elderly and disabled Americans are in the plans, which provide more comprehensive coverage than traditional Medicare, often at lower cost.
Lee Durrwachter, a retired chemical engineer from Grand Marais, Mich., said his premiums more than doubled this year — even though he switched plans to try to save money. "It doesn't bode well," Durrwachter said. "It's unaffordable."
The Medicare findings are bad news for President Barack Obama and his health care overhaul that is bogged down in Congress.....
"The Medicare PRICE HIKE figures are BAD NEWS for the INSANELY CORRUPT President Barack Obama, who SQUANDERED the opportunity provided through THE ENTIRE YEAR of 2009, to provide SOME form of caps or CONTROLS on out-of-control PRICE GOUGING by insurance companies of the American people's health care needs."
Among many other outrages, Mr. Obama PRETENDED NOT TO NOTICE Aetna insurance company SLASHING 650,000 Americans from health coverage back in December 2009 -
< Aetna Forcing 600,000-Plus To Lose Coverage In Effort To Raise Profits >
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/04/aetna-forcing-600000-plus_n_380130.html
