Yet another argument for single-payer health insurance. These companies should be burned to the ground.

(Lest anyone think I am advocating arson, let me stipulate that I am speaking metaphorically here.)

you think this is high, wait until the government is in charge. This will seem like 1.00 gallon gasoline. Hang onto your hat and get ready for the ride of your life. In Canada they are taxed 48% of their income for health insurance that is neither competent or timely.....

and my friends wonder why I don't have insurance

Anthem is fueling government run healthcare. Anthem is killing the goose who lays the golden egg.

Anthem (Wellpoint) is less about health-care than hardball business and brass-knuckle politics. The company will argue that it "only earns" modest returns on its investments but that is after excessive executive compensation, including bonuses, and a wide variety of other expenses, including lobbying costs, are expensed. Health-care should not be seen or treated like ordinary business. When it comes to human life, "care" and "profits" are generally opposite concepts.

On 1/7/10 at 10:38 AM, valgal10 wrote: In Canada they are taxed 48% of their income for health insurance...

WRONG ! ! ! !

The U.S. spends much more on health care than Canada, both on a per-capita basis and as a percentage of GDP. In 2006, per-capita spending for health care in Canada was US$3,678; in the U.S., US$6,714. The U.S. spent 15.3% of GDP on health care in that year; Canada spent 10.0% In 2006, 70% of health care spending in Canada was financed by government, versus 46% in the United States. Total government spending per capita in the U.S. on health care was 23% higher than Canadian government spending, and U.S. government expenditure on health care was just under 83% of total Canadian spending (public and private).

Greg Howard said it boggles his mind. I think that adding 2+2 would boggle his mind.

The government has caused this problem, not Anthem. Oh, but who do the rubes look to to fix it? Uncle Same. Sure. Good luck with that.

Yet another argument to allow insurance comapnies to compete for business in every state. What this country needs is a catastrophic health care coverage for all citizens. Can't most of us take care of the little stuff?

Commonsense makes commonsense!!!!!

This is absolutely nuts!! I really can't afford the health care coverage thru them that I have now. Too scared to go without, so I go without other things. I pay $350 a month now! And that's with a $5000 deductible!!! Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Something needs to be done. Can't afford what I have for coverage now, yet I'm paying for other's healthcare?!?!? Something's definitely wrong with this picture.

Eugene, That's what you get when government's in charge. You pay a lot more in taxes and they ration out the healthcare. You pay more and get less. New Brunswick's HST tax is at 13%. Figure that out on the purchase of a vehicle alone and that could pay a good portion of your premium.

why not open insurance to other company's like it was years ago?

benoddway wrote: why not open insurance to other company's like it was years ago?

He/She is absolutely correct; Maine insurance law has "locked out" competition. If you want to see the affect, compare coverage costs in New Hampshire to those in Maine.

Thieves. If there were ever an argument in favor of universal healthcare this would it. Yet all you NRA members continue to let rich, fat white guys fool you into believing that government programs are bad. To you I can only say enjoy the increased premium that you're going to be handing over to Anthem.

Easy now, Bangorian...I'm fat, white, and an NRA member. And you're right...this insurer is going to talk themselves right out of business.

I knew this was coming. Blue Cross/ Blue Shield paid lobbyists 33 million dollars on the health care debate in D. C. We pay them to pay the lobbyists, who try to defeat health care reforms.

Anthem just doesn't get it do they?

Now THAT, upeaster, is correct...and despicable.

Bet Collins and Snowe are not looking at a 23% increase in their free government health care. Collins and Snowe could care less about Mainers. Both were bought by big insurance to do their bidding. Corruption at its best in Maine.

What is so mind-boggling? Insurance companies KNOW there won't be significant reform and they can keep gouging hard-working Americans that are struggling to get by. Thanks so much Senator Snowe and Collins. I have lost faith in our country when profits over health are the status quo.

Blame the state govt for not allowing competition. When you allow one company to have all the say in a field, it is called a monopoly and they dictate what one pays. If you allow competition, rates go down and you can barter for the best deal. An amazing concept.

I should have said an even bigger thank you to the morons that are running this state - running it right into the ground!

Forgot to ask. Can anyone tell me when the healthcare debate is on C-Span? I been waiting for months now and think I may have missed it. Boy, I sure am anxious to see the open and transparent debate on C-Span that the pres promised time and time again. I can't wait to see what is in the bills that no one knows is in there and no one has seen. I am sure it will be all shown on C-Span....like the president promised..numerous times. You don't think he would have pulled a shady scumbag political trick and.....LIED?

1:27 PM, LilMikey, what makes you think there is no competition allowed now? There are several insurance companies covering Mainers.

Maine has chased every other insurer out of the state, so we are left with a monopolistic regime that can raise rates at their whim. And at the same time, the regulations placed on insurers by the State are so cumbersome that no one wants to do business here.

Look at a state like Texas - where there are over 600 insurers competing for the business. Wonder why?

Great articles on Dirigo Health and the debacle going on in Maine.

http://www.mainepolicy.org/3/news/273/Dirigo_Health_No_Maine_Miracle_Cure

and

http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php/2008071015604/Editorials/DirigoChoice-A-Costly-Failure.html

Rates are going up higher than usual because anthem sees whats coming.

LOL Anthem is indeed providing the fuel to ignite the pubic options heat we should be s single payer system.

changeneeded "...The government has caused this problem, not Anthem...." wrong, lobbyists for Anthem and the insurance industry-------------------------------------- wrote every single regulation, law, and the system as we now know it in every single state!-----------------bought and paid for while sitting next to Lieberman, Snowe and Collins as well.

I.E.Anthem provides premium healthcare to fortune 500 companies, at about a 1/3 less per employee than Joe Sixpack business owners' employess looking to buy the same care. AND many of the same CEOs who get great deals for their companies employees also sit on many insurance giants' board of directors, and while owning tons of stock in anthem and others.

Get a reality check folks the health insurance industry are criminals, stealing from us through middlemen like our Representatives in Congress.!

There is no competition in Maine because that's what the insurance lobbyists wanted when they required a bond of millions that the small could never come up with, so it was put in place to KEEP OUT COMPETITION and now the insurance industry is using this a 'not fair' to the publica option groups that would not need the bond.

fredrogers: the lobbyists didn't cause this...the elected officials that act on their behalf cause this. If they were honorable and clean, it wouldn't matter what the lobbyists did or said.

I think I have to agree with several comments regarding our political leaders in our state, Collins and Snowe.

They have become complacent in their jobs and have made a career in politics. They are so busy being busy that they have forgotten their roots.

It's time to re-evaluate the maximum time they and their constiuates can serve in their office. Of course the argument will be made that they need to have experienced people serving and that 8 years is not enough....hmmmm 8 years for the president seems to work okay. Time to clean house, and get new blood to serve. Afterall, how much worse can it get? The country is almost bankrupt, healthcare is a joke, we are bailing out companies and allowing them to reward their excutives for poor performance, our auto industry is a fiasco, our housing industry is in shambles, and banks and credit card companies are screwing us all over so why not "change".

Anthem could just take a gun and rob you, but that would be too easy, maybe dangerous too. They ask for 23 percent hoping the regulators will settle for 16 percent, they know full well they won't get the whole thing. It's a wonder that anyone can afford their rates, and they make profits now, go look it up. Lie, cheat, steal and get the government to say it's okay.

Tired2008: we can vote our delegation out on their next time around. WE can do that. My main gripe is with the Byrds, Schumers, and Dodds of the world. I have NO ability to vote them out of office, but they can spend my money any way they want over any objection I may have.

When are the people going to wake up and replace the incumbent politicians who are being led astray by those lobbyists who are really running the government. What ever happened to the idea of our elected officials being sent to Washington to REPRESENT THE PEOPLE?!?!? The people of Maine (and the rest of the country) are being taken to the cleaners!! WAKE UP AND REPLACE EVERY INCUMBENT IN WASHINGTON!! We DO NOT need this HEALTH BILL that is being forced upon us for the sake of passing a health bill!!! Take away the golden benefits of politicians and let them live with what they force on THE PEOPLE.

Another good argument to let the marketplace regulate itself!!

Why do we need government to manage businesses?

The corporation won't be satisfied until every breathing creature is enslaved to it!!!!!

Another good argument to let the marketplace regulate itself!!

Why do we need government to manage businesses?

The corporation won't be satisfied until every breathing creature is enslaved to it!!!!!

Single payer!! Between my employer and me, we are dishing out over 500/month for high-deductible coverage. It wouldn't cost us any more than that with single payer.

Rep J McKane:

In Maine, for example, only two companies sell health insurance to individuals. Of those two, Anthem sells 60 percent of the policies. In New Hampshire there are 11 companies; in Connecticut there are nine; and in Massachusetts there are 21. Just imagine if Maine people suddenly had the choice of dozens of companies and plans to choose from. Needless to say, in states where there are large numbers of companies competing for your health insurance dollar, premiums are significantly lower.

The reason Maine doesn't allow cross border health-insurance sales is that a few companies would pick-off the cream of the crop among clients and saddle the rest of the population with high-cost low quality insurance products. Cross-border competition would only make sense on a national basis, not when companies can pick and choose their hunting grounds.

I've lived in Germany, and have colleagues in Canada, Western Europe and Australia/New Zealand. All of those places have BETTER AND CHEAPER HEALTH CARE all around, measured by life expectancy both at birth and at age 60, than does the United states. Those who don't like government-run monopolies should stop using the interstate and refuse their social security checks. Let's not give them military protection, police, fire or ambulance service--those services smack of socialism. Remember, when the constitution was written, any American, rich or poor, could get a house-call from a doctor, and never lose the house to pay for it.

The fact that people in Maine continue to buy lottery tickets while condemning single-payer health insurance is further proof that 1) Maine's schools are useless except to train serfs for Corporate fiefs and 2) there are some people in Maine who, if they continue to breed, will eventually make our gene pool too shallow to hold a meniscus.

When did Anthem start forcing people to buy their products? If you don't like their price or business practices, then don't do business with them. The problem is regulations and state mandated coverages.

How much would your auto insurance cost if you expected them to pay for gasoline and oil changes? People need to recognize the difference between insurance, based on costs and risk versus a welfare program to give them something they don't want to pay full price for. It seems like the people who squawk the loudest are the people who don't really want insurance, they want to force doctors, nurses and the rest of the health care industry to serve them for free.

WTF

This goes deeper than just a rate increase......and we all see it and know why. Before you know it half the state of Maine will be homeless and on welfare. WHY can't we take back our country,let alone our states.and have a majority of people that would work to help support the systems, it would be a much better place financially and we could all enjoy affordable insurance and a decent way of living. But instead,we have way too many leaches on society feeding off the soul of the provider taking and NOT giving anything back. These are the people that need to be shipped back to where they came from, they're like a mass drove of vampires sucking the very life out of the people that really deserve to survive on the income they have,not to mention the system that is so damn gullable and greedy they can't see the problem for the almighty dollar. To quote a statement by Warren Buffett,"America has fallen off a cliff" so with that in mind, good luck getting back to the top of reality and a better way of life. The insurance companies are the richest instituations in the world,they loan money to the banks, just imagine paying a premium in for say,20,30 or even 40 years and never making a claim...now think of the inconsiderate,greedy,people in power that could give a rats a-- about anyuthing except they're own fat bank account,and spend most of they're time trying to figure out a way to minipulate and undermind the very systems that we need so desperatly to survive....scarey isn't it. I really hate to say it but unless we ban together and stand up for what we not only believe in but what we really,want it will all be taken from us one amandment at a time. In closing and having moved to and from the insurance topic, I still believe our own judicial,and political systems are 70% corrupt and 30% for whats right, and looking only for the path of least resistance at the publics expense. Bottom line...."Do unto others before they do unto you". And now....I'm sure you know the rest of the story...!!! God give us the strength to survive and except the things we cannot change,BUT the wisdom to make a change no matter how small in the best interest of humanity. AMEN

Along with the 40% increase from the Obama Health Care rip off, Insurance is going to soon cost to much for anyone! HMMM Think that is the plan all along?

My Mom did not get a raise in her Maine State Retirement or Social Security, I didn't get a raise in my Veteran's Benefits, because of the Consumer Price Index. My Mom's Health Insurance will still go up. What is up with that? If we can't get raises because of the CPI why should they?

Kiscaly....I totally agree, this whole political cinario is like a bad movie, where the good guy never wins, we are just now coming to the part where we need to figure out the plot, and when we do, I think it will only make matters worse. We are in a very corrupt society with a bunch of heartless idiots at the wheel of a runaway bus,sit down,hold on and pray brother,pray.

22.9% is Cheap. Penobscot county just signed with cigna-26% increase on the price. Aetna Offered the county 29.9% increase so the County went with the Cheaper of the two. Guess who picked up the tab?

Anthem poster three (3) BILLION dollars in profits! Single payer health care is a must or these companies will continue to gouge us. The marketplace will not allow less expensive plans under the laws congress passed under Bush/Cheney!

All those folks who were screaming about the threat of rampant socialism last year during the debate over a public option have been shown to be on the right track once again. The insurance industry is our friend. www.eightfits.blogspot.com

Solution.....become an illegal alien, it's all free !

Anthemn needs their rate increase because people are utilizing their health care plans...what are these people thinking?? If people are fortunate to be able to afford these plans that are already not cheap...of course they are going to utilize the services!! Ridiculous

I would comment here but whats the point, BDN won't post my comments anyway, this blog is about pitting commenter against commenter not opinions about what BDN prints in this rag that is plain enough to see......

Our insurance is expensive, but its the best health care in the world. Would you want to be in Canada or Europe if you needed something done. You would be put on a waiting list for 6 months.

Think it is expensive now, wait until the Gov't. takes over.

Remove regulations, do not increase them. Foster competition for health insurance. Remove the regulations that prevent people from buying health insurance from other states....

Who are all these Mainers that still believe there is a "Free Lunch"? No matter how Obama twists the numbers, buries the costs, distributes off-sets, at the end of the day.. health insurance will cost everyone more as the government intervenes.. Pick your poison.. highter insurance premiums, more taxes, less jobs, reduced care. Pick one.

Makes You Wanna Just Puke~The Way the Insurance Giants Made Puppets of The Public

Now Our Policticians Can Say~Hey Public You Gave Us NO Clear Direction

So Live with What We Give You~As The Giants and Politicians Line There Pockets

Oh Well America~Tried To Tell Ya

A Single Payer Like Some Others Have Said

Would Of Lowered Your Insurance Cost

And As I predicted Now It Seems There Will Be NO PUBLIC OPTION

The Giants Known as White Collar Crime Have Won

Sad oh so Sad~We Could of Had So Much Better

And As Promised I Won`t Gloat

I am To Sad For That

This same company called my spouse weeks before the holidays saying to watch what was being eaten because of a slight high blood pressure problem.

Where's the privacy? Only going to get worse in many ways.

How else are they going to pay their lobbyists? It's just business.

Welcome to the shiny new United Corporations of America.

Thank you Olympia Snowe (R) Anthem,

and Susan Collins (R) CIGNA:

for all you do this hike's from you.

Doesn't really matter what the general public wants or needs anymore in the relm of things. Marketing and promotional costs...

why is an insurance company marketing or promo anything... there is not a reason why a company who has a streaming line of

customers have to market anything. They say they are making a profit in the small and large group line but individual is not.

When you stop to think about their logic there is none. They pay their people way more than they should and I don't believe anyone

is worth the high priced salaries they are making at the top of food chain. This is exactly what is wrong with this country at the core.

Everyone has their hand out all the time and want want want more than the people can afford. We and every one else in this country

should be ashamed of what the government and private insurance companies have done to the people who make this country

tick. The working people in this country are the only ones who keep things moving. Snow and Collins should be ashamed as well

as the insurance companies for bankrupting the people who pay their salaries. Government health care for the Snow or Collins

is one of many reasons why they are in the jobs that they are in. Perks and wage increases in the dead of night vote is just one

Some day ONE DAY there won't be any one left to pay because we'll on be living on welfare or dead because insurance and government

have sucked the life out of us and all of our offspring.

way that people like them will stay in control of our lives.

Thanks Sweet Sue and Olympia. This is what your vote got our state. Move to DC and stay there with the bonuses you get from the insurance/investment companies you vote to protect.

6:20 AM, johnnycakemtn wrote: it's the best health care in the world.

Where do you get the idea that it is the best in the world? There are numerous reports that show otherwise. Most expensive does not mean better.

Sure, in some areas of medicine we are certainly the best, but as a healthcare system, we are sorely lacking.

Come on guys, get your heads out of the sand. This is big business and they need that money to pay the big-wigs their yearly bonuses, take trips and buy fancy cars, etc...all at our expense.

These guys and their congressional conspirators should be in a federal prison somewhere. Does this pull your "national healthcare" trigger yet Olympia?

Maine must immediatly open up to individual cross State insurance shopping, and tell Anthem to take their financial fishing elsewhere.

talk to your congress men and women and tell them to not approve this request. For crying out loud my insurance just jumped jan 1 due to these insurance companies greed, now they want to steal more money from us?!?!?!? What makes it even worse is that even when you pay out hundreds every month in insurance that you still have to pay out the nose when you go to the doctors office. My wife just had an ultrasound at eastern maine, the bill was just over 700 dollars and we are stuck paying nearly half that the insurance wont cover!?!?!? I guess I just think that for all the years you pay in on insurance, when you finally need to use it you should get more in return.

Cheeta - I have to wonder about your comment 5:51am "Anethem needs their rate increase because people are utilizing their health plans..." Anthem is targeting individual policies, I personally don't think people in that brackett are utilizing their policies. My family was in that brackett and had to drop health insurance altogether; we couldn't afford it at $600.00 a month and had a combined deductible of $10,000.00 before the insurance kicked in. I think MOST individual policies are at least $5,000.00 if not $10,000.00 deductibles and more then likely the families are NOT able to utilize them.

AS I SEE IT, by Mainer Mike Brown

I truly sympathize with Anthem, and I know all Mainers do as well.

I really feel their pain.

aroostookcountygurl wrote: "This is absolutely nuts!! I really can't afford the health care coverage thru them that I have now. Too scared to go without, so I go without other things. I pay $350 a month now! And that's with a $5000 deductible!!! "

.

Sounds like paradise to me: I'm self-employed and single, and my monthly was just raised from $997 to almost $1200, and that's just to cover me!

Adelaide, I was referring only to what the article stated and I meant it quite facitiously.....they apparently feel they are paying out too much money for prescription and high tech medical procedures and need the rate hike to cover those costs. Somebody must be getting to use the benefit or else, they are just trying to get more money...gee whiz?

New York guy, I would be putting that money into a savings account...at that rate unless you have underlying health problems you would be foolish to pay it!!!

Let's all stop paying into a system that's going to make us broke and let the government fiqure it out.

Insurance is inherently evil and was developed to extort money. If we had a non-profit and pooled our resources I am sure that we could take care of our families....lets squeeze out the insurance middle man.

I would be that Anthem is shooting high so that when the final double digit increase is approved that they have met their true target. It is all about smoke and mirrors folks.

This increase truly needs to be stopped but so does the way we choose to use our health care providers. Prescriptions of antibiotics for viruses, unnecessary ER visits, as well as other abuses abound. Whatever happened to toughing out a cold?

Anthem just proved the case for requiring a public option.

Wow, that's gonna be expensive, once you tack on the 13% tax for Obamacare. I'm sure Chelly and Mike are gonig to take care of this for us.

Vote Democrat!

If this goes through, the taxpayers in the little city of Eastport will be paying over half a million dollars in insurance costs for it's employees; city government and schools. With state employees, Medicare, VA, and Medicaid, I would venture to say the taxpayers are paying 90% of the insurance costs of the population of Eastport. I think paying for the healthcare for our citizens is a good thing, it's the 40% of the money that we pay to Anthem for golf tournaments, frizbees, sales bonuses and management junkets, not to mention the breath-taking salaries of Anthem management (10X more than similarly positioned Federal or state health administrators). Wellpoint, Anthem's parent company, only made 331 million dollars in profit last quarter, down from 881 million profit from the previous year's 4th quarter. that's a lot of taxpayer money.

Southern Westchester Schools just dumped the "Blues" now we have POMCO, they charge less for co-pay, have no deductible, and mesh better with Medicare. The best part is I never have to deal with Anthem again.

Being able to buy insurance across state lines would make it possible to buy Blue Cross/ Blue Shield from California which, I believe would provide better coverage at a lower rate. Just outlawing lobbists would cut out a lot of these problems (and make for more honest politicans). Now wouldn't that be a miracle (maybe two).

I have an answer and can help with regards to the other individual carrier in Maine. Call me at 800-749-3841.