New rates in California were announced at a 78% increase recently. Yes, a SEVENTY-EIGHT PERCENT INCREASE. The country can't stand this much longer; soon our entire economy will be tied up in health care. THIS is the reason no one is hiring; no one can afford to take on any more insurance payments.

The solution: do not work for any company that has old people, fat people, or smokers. The only jobs worth having in the future will be in large firms with a mostly young, active, healthy workforce. That's simple consequence of demographics and group indemnity insurance.

So the insurance co's are saying "please approve what we're already doing and if you don't the world will end". I say fuck 'em. If they were stupid enough to raise premiums when they needed approval first let them lose money. Maybe they could take it out of their CEO's multi-million dollar paycheck.

Funny that this is the state that is supposedly so against health care reform that they were the ones who managed to kill the national bill. Or maybe they just figured since they've got universal health care who gives a shit about the rest of the country.

Yeah @5, but who wants the delivery of that medical care determined by people who are more concerned with whether their investment is producing acceptable dividends than they are about whether or not you actually get the medical care you need?

@5: Considering all the shit insurance companies pull, I say let's try not having any of them for a while. I bet the ol' gubmint could do a better job distributing health care payments than Blue Cross / Blue Shield.