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HHS Secretary Sebelius seems to be "hailing" the chief in her comments on proposed rate increases by Anthem Blue Cross.
The Obama administration is asking why Anthem Blue Cross is raising its health insurance rates by nearly 40 percent for some California customers while making handsome profits -- and is pointing to the rate hike as evidence of why health care reform needs to pass.
Seems to me it is evidence that Blue is doing something right. In contrast, the folks in Washington can't balance a budget. So who are they to be giving financial advice on how to run a company?
"These extraordinary increases are up to 15 times faster than inflation and threaten to make health care unaffordable
Sebelius and the folks in Washington either do not understand, or care, that there is no relationship between the overall rate of inflation and health insurance premiums.
So how does Washington deal with the rising cost of health care?
They cut reimbursement to medical providers.
Looking at the picture again, maybe it is not "hail Obama". It could be "up yours".
UPDATED and BUMPED:
It seems that HHS Secretary Sebelius as well as the White House feel they have the ability to interject themselves in a matter where they have no jurisdiction. To the best of my knowledge, the federal government does not have the ability to involve themselves in rate setting which is still the domain of the states.
Did Congress pass enabling legislation transferring control to the fed's while I was asleep?