Commentary

After pounding the Idaho Legislature to adopt ObamaCare, Blue Cross of Idaho announced last week that it will seek permission to raise premiums by a staggering 25% next year – with some plans increasing by as much as 31%. In a single year!

It isn’t like Blue Cross has been avoiding substantial rate hikes over recent years. It isn’t like we are living in the days of Jimmy Carter – when “stagflation” nearly broke the American economy. And it isn’t like Blue Cross’ customer base has shrunk under the mandatory provisions of ObamaCare.

These kind of insurance rate increases are simply not sustainable.

Idaho families and businesses are about to get a double whammy: Not only will their direct bills from Blue Cross increase, but, as taxpayers, we will be watching every level of Idaho government scramble to find the extra millions to pad Blue Cross’ reserves as they try to provide coverage for public employees.

Of course, Blue Cross is not the only villain in this story. And corporate greed at their palatial headquarters in Meridian is not the only explanation for these staggering increases in insurance rates. Much of this pending crisis goes back to the irrational demands of ObamaCare itself. (But, then again, the insurance industry was up to its throat in the conspiracy to impose ObamaCare upon America).

Another prime culprit in this outrage is the medical industry itself. Endless expansion and empire-building is being conducted by the big hospital conglomerates around Idaho – exemplified by St. Luke’s. All of those cool, shiny buildings and take-overs have to be paid for by someone. And it won’t be the shareholders in these health care behemoths 

That will fall to the poor, largely silent working stiffs and taxpayers of Idaho.

Blue Cross’ demand for a 25% rate hike next year is pending before the Insurance Commission, which is now led by Sen. Dean Cameron. Cameron was the principal legislative architect of the state insurance exchange during his time in the Senate. He was a primary cheerleader for the plan to accept ObamaCare in Idaho. It will be very interesting to see what he does, if anything, to impose some economic reality on his friends at Blue Cross and Regence Blue Shield.

If Cameron fails to stop the insanity, we predict there will be tremendous political fall-out as the working stiffs of Idaho finally rebel against a grossly corrupt system teetering on implosion.

Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden is one of eleven attorneys general from around the nation pressing the Secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, to stop changing ObamaCare through Executive Fiat. A letter signed by the group was sent last week protesting the numerous changes which have been ordered by the federal regime without Congressional approval.

The letter specifically called-out the regime around Obama’s decision to allow policies which are prohibited by the federal statute to be re-issued. The executive branch cannot simply change duly-enacted laws by itself.

A key portion of the letter reads:

“We support allowing citizens to keep their health insurance coverage, but the only way to fix this problem-ridden law is to enact changes lawfully: through Congressional action. The illegal actions by this administration must stop.”

Submission of the letter is seen as a precursor to potential legal action.

The attorneys general also urged the Secretary to properly deal with widespread concerns over the security of private information being collected by government websites as part of the ObamaCare application process.

As more details are revealed about ObamaCare, it is becoming increasingly clear that seniors are under assault. A story over the weekend in the Wall St. Journal shows that health insurance companies are restricting access to doctors as a cost-cutting measure – “rationing” by another name.

Attention is focused on United Health’s Medicare Advantage coverage, a program many seniors rely upon to access quality care at a manageable cost. The company explains that deep government reimbursement rates are making it impossible for the company to make up the difference.

What does this have to do ObamaCare? Everything.

Remember that the cornerstone of funding for ObamaCare was a $700 billion reduction in funding for Medicare, primarily the Medicare Advantage program.

So much for the promise that “if you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor”.

This is part of an intentional, strategic plan to shift health care expenditures away from the biggest consumers of health care services by forcing seniors to find care from fewer and fewer providers.

While Democrats have been successful persuading foolish young women and media allies that the only question of import is whether taxpayers provide them with “free” birth control drugs, the horrific fact is that the Obama Administration is waging a deadly war against seniors that will have genuine, tragic consequences.