Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says that the costs of health care coverage are putting families in impossible situations. (0:18)
Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters Monday that shifts in Americans health insurance coverage, including massive premium hikes, highlight the need for health care reform. (0:20)
During a conference call with reporters on Friday, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) says Republicans have no intention of passing any health care bill, and that the House and Senate should move forward without them. (0:11)
Sherron Brown (D-Ohio) says Republicans need to understand that the healthcare reform bill does have a bipartisan flavor, adding that the GOP’s ideas that are in the bill won’t be taken out during reconciliation. (0:33)
During a conference call with reporters on Friday, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) says many Republicans are trying to ensure that President Barack Obama fails at passing health care reform. (0:17)
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius calls for health insurance companies to publish information online explaining why they are raising prices. (0:23)
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius lists a number of negative effects that arbitrary rate increases on the part of health insurance companies can have on the budgets of consumers. (1:02)
By Laurel Brishel Prichard-University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service
Health and Human Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters Thursday that through the administration’s health care reform effort, health insurance providers could soon be required to publish the rationale behind premium increases on American’s policies.
“Right now we have a situation where the top 5 companies filed earning reports of $12.7 billion for 2009 in terms of profit statements and yet pivot around with double digit rate increase,” Sebelius said during a conference call with reporters. “People have no bargaining power, they have no leverage and often are desperate in terms of what in the world they are going to do.”
According to the secretary, posting the reasons behind raised premiums online will provide additional transparency.
Sebelius’s remarks came shortly after a meeting with a variety of the heavy hitting insurance company CEO’s and commissioners, including those from UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and WellPoint.
President Barack Obama stopped in during the meeting, according to Sebelius, to share a letter that he received from a cancer survivor in Ohio. Her rates were increased 25 percent last year, which put her insurance premiums at $7,000, with $4,000 in out of pocket costs, and has been informed that her rates will go up another 40 percent this year.
Sebelius quoted Obama saying “that kind of rate increase is just unacceptable and unsustainable.”
President Barack Obama called on Congress to allow individuals and small business to buy into a large insurance pool similar to that which Congress and the President are a part of during Thursday’s Health Care Summit. (0:40)
Rep. Joe Kline (R-Minn.) says at the White House Health Care Summit that letting small businesses buy into large insurance plans will not only help them lower costs, but is a better idea than a national health exchange. (0:25)
