| Health insurance went up 7.7 percent this year, | | | | medical bills. In an ongoing case in California the |
| thats twice the rate of inflation. Premiums have | | | | state is investigating a claim against Blue Cross |
| increased by 78 percent since the year 2000 | | | | who stopped coverage for a family when it's |
| compare that to salary increases of just 20 | | | | medical bills reached $20,000. The family have |
| percent and the real picture starts to have an | | | | been left with outstanding medical bills of over |
| impact. | | | | $60,000. The company have accused the family |
| Individuals are now averaging a little over $4000 a | | | | of failing to disclose in their coverage application |
| year in premiums with American families paying | | | | an undiagnosed lump on one of the children's chins. |
| out almost $11,500 this year. Companies offering | | | | The family say they (or their physician) knew |
| health care benefits now stands at 61 percent this | | | | nothing of any tumor when they made the |
| is down from 69 percent in 2000. It's estimated | | | | application. |
| that over 155 million Americans will get their health | | | | These types of cancellations of coverage have |
| care benefits from their employers. To lower the | | | | now created a massive backlash towards the |
| over-all cost of the insurance plans many | | | | insurance companies and resulted in a number of |
| companies are now offering benefit packages | | | | ongoing lawsuits. The policyholders are saying their |
| with higher deductibles. It should be noted that | | | | polices were illegally terminated which resulted in |
| this report comes out after a recent Census | | | | substantial financial hardship. State regulators are |
| reported that 1.3 million Americans where added | | | | investigating and have said they are now |
| to the ranks of the uninsured during 2005. What | | | | preparing to take action against Blue Cross. |
| becomes clear here is the long term trend | | | | Something needs to be done to protect (us) the |
| towards the decline of coverage supplied by small | | | | public against these (insurance) companies. The |
| businesses from their employees. | | | | hardship caused when a family is faced with these |
| "To working people and business owners, a | | | | medical bills at a time when they really need the |
| reduction in an already very high rate of increase | | | | most support is nothing short of criminal. Having |
| just means you're still paying more" said Dr Drew | | | | taken our money every month for years on end |
| Altman, president and chief executive of the | | | | they should not have the right to terminate our |
| Kaiser Foundation. | | | | coverage. They should by law be forced to honor |
| Insurance companies have been under attack | | | | the agreement they wrote and we agreed too. |
| recently for dumping families that build up large | | | | |