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Will young adults face “rate shock” because of ObamaCare?

Insurers point to several reasons that premiums will rise. They will soon be required to offer more-comprehensive coverage than many currently provide. Also, their costs will increase because they will be barred from rejecting the sick, and they will no longer be allowed to charge older customers sharply higher premiums than younger ones…

The insurers’ public relations blitz is being propelled by a growing cast of executives, lobbyists, conservative activists and state health officials. They increasingly use the same catchphrase — “rate shock” — to warn about the potential for price surges.

Aetna chief executive Mark T. Bertolini invoked the term at his company’s recent annual investor conference, cautioning that premiums for plans sold to individuals could rise as much as 50 percent on average and could more than double for particular groups such as the young and healthy.

The danger of rate shock has also become the favored weapon of conservative opponents of the law, repeated in a drumbeat of op-eds and policy papers in recent weeks.

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How’s that hopey-changey thing working out for you, kids?

Wethal on February 17, 2013 at 3:57 PM

No. Mommy and daddy will pay for it until they’re 26. Duh!

ButterflyDragon on February 17, 2013 at 3:57 PM

No: no preexisting conditions, remember?

Fenris on February 17, 2013 at 3:59 PM

Is the Pope Catholic?

Warner Todd Huston on February 17, 2013 at 4:00 PM

A number of them flipped when the fica deduction kicked in again.

Blake on February 17, 2013 at 4:02 PM

Warner Todd Huston on February 17, 2013 at 4:00 PM

Subtle.

BigGator5 on February 17, 2013 at 4:04 PM

Some insurance executives say privately that they don’t have high expectations of winning concessions in the next couple of weeks but they hope their public messaging around “rate shock” will at least head off what they fear could be a frenzy of insurer-bashing once premiums are announced this spring.

“Let’s face it,” said an executive at one company. “We’re not exactly everybody’s favorite industry.”

Any regrets about all those secret meetings at the WH where you sold yourselves to Obama, ho’s?

Karma’s a beeyutch, ain’t it.

Wethal on February 17, 2013 at 4:04 PM

You heard of Food Stamps and ObamaPhones? The young (and many more) are figuring sooner or later there will be federally dispersed “ObamaCare Stamps”, too.
All financed by the US the going into more debt to the Chinese…

albill on February 17, 2013 at 4:08 PM

Well, “young adults” who support obama and obamacare won’t, because they don’t pay taxes and won’t have to buy their own insurance – taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill for them.

Pork-Chop on February 17, 2013 at 4:09 PM

Yeah, but now those nasty Catholics will have to pay for Sandra Fluke’s and Lena Dunham’s birth control pills, so the “rate shock” is totally worth it.

/sarc

JimLennon on February 17, 2013 at 4:11 PM

Is the Pope Catholic?

Warner Todd Huston on February 17, 2013 at 4:00 PM

It’s a popular misconception that the pope is Catholic. If you look closely, you will see that he always wears a yarmulke

keep the change on February 17, 2013 at 4:19 PM

Clink on February 17, 2013 at 4:14 PM

keep the change on February 17, 2013 at 4:19 PM

LOL! Very well done, both of you! :-)

JimLennon on February 17, 2013 at 4:21 PM

, cautioning that premiums for plans sold to individuals could rise as much as 50 percent on average and could more than double for particular groups such as the young and healthy.

winning!!!

//

Suckers

CW on February 17, 2013 at 4:22 PM

Any regrets about all those secret meetings at the WH where you sold yourselves to Obama, ho’s?

Karma’s a beeyutch, ain’t it.

Wethal on February 17, 2013 at 4:04 PM

The sad part is that none of them had a clue that they were being set up as the fall guy. They are going to be the baddie that ties the nation to the railroad tracks so that Obama and the Democrats can ride to the rescue at the last minute. I hope he learns to twirl his mustache.

DFCtomm on February 17, 2013 at 4:41 PM

Any regrets about all those secret meetings at the WH where you sold yourselves to Obama, ho’s?

Karma’s a beeyutch, ain’t it.

Wethal on February 17, 2013 at 4:04 PM

To be fair, at that time the companies were already being demonized by the administration and they probably figured if we don’t play ball we’ll be shut down altogether (single payer).

Missy on February 17, 2013 at 4:42 PM

I think the GOP should propose legislation called “The balancing our budget act to wake low information voters”

The bill will require tax hikes high enough to equal our spending. Deficits should be forbidden.

For the moronic public to ever wake up to our spending problem they will have to be forced to actually pay the bill.

Charlemagne on February 17, 2013 at 4:43 PM

and you know what going to be the topper?
republicans will get the blame. the public will buy it.
thanks gope.

renalin on February 17, 2013 at 4:46 PM

To be fair, at that time the companies were already being demonized by the administration and they probably figured if we don’t play ball we’ll be shut down altogether (single payer).

Missy on February 17, 2013 at 4:42 PM

Of course. Big corporations always partner up with Big Government. While the corporations know they will take a hit through increased regulations/mandates, they also know that their smaller competitors will be not be able to survive the same regulations and end up crushed.

This is why the Left looks like fools when they spew anti-corporation, anti-big business hate. It’s their ideology that gives big corporations unfair advantage! Ironically, the only remedy to “unchecked corporate power” is the free market, which the Left also rejects. This is but one of the reasons why anything the Left dominates eventually turns to crap.

visions on February 17, 2013 at 5:01 PM

For the moronic public to ever wake up to our spending problem they will have to be forced to actually pay the bill.

Charlemagne on February 17, 2013 at 4:43 PM

Wouldn’t work. 47% don’t pay any tax, and thanks to the progressive tax system the Democrats would ensure key constituencies would remain untouched. Think a huge tax break for income derived from the movie industry and the education industry. What you propose is actually their plan, but you gotta boil your frogs slowly.

DFCtomm on February 17, 2013 at 5:01 PM

They increasingly use the same catchphrase — “rate shock” — to warn about the potential for price surges.

Media: “It’s a right-wing conspiracy! War on women? Never heard of it.”

flush_explorer on February 17, 2013 at 5:18 PM

If I recall, Romneycare’s biggest rate increases were in the years when the bill was in the works, but hadn’t become law yet. Lawmakers let the insurance companies get ahead of the cost curve as long as they supported the law. I remember the president of our company changed insurance carriers 3 times in about 5 years because of double digit rate increases.

Wigglesworth on February 17, 2013 at 5:38 PM

I hope so. I hope it ends up being a lesson they never outlive.

Bmore on February 17, 2013 at 6:26 PM

Young people are getting screwed six ways from Sunday. I truly feel for those that knew better and fought Obama’s coronation every step of the way. The rest?
Not so much.

lynncgb on February 17, 2013 at 6:39 PM

The sad part is that none of them had a clue that they were being set up as the fall guy. They are going to be the baddie that ties the nation to the railroad tracks so that Obama and the Democrats can ride to the rescue at the last minute. I hope he learns to twirl his mustache.

DFCtomm on February 17, 2013 at 4:41 PM

I can see single payer from my house.

Mirimichi on February 17, 2013 at 6:52 PM