Every preliminary rate will be reviewed and negotiated by state and federal insurance authorities, and based on past years, many will end up cut significantly. But the White House and its allies recognize that “rates have gone up under Obamacare” will always make an easier headline than their response — the initial bids won’t necessarily be the final rate; the announced averages are misleading because they give equal weight to larger and smaller insurers; rates have gone up at a lower rate than would likely have happened otherwise; and subsidies are built into the law to compensate for some of those increases as well as potential end-of-year rebates for inordinate hikes. You can bet there will be tremendous pressure and lots of carrots to reduce rates. I have no sympathy for the insurance companies, which supported Obamacare because they thought they would get a huge increase in customers mandated to use their services and most of it subsidized by the government.
I have no sympathy for the insurance companies, which supported Obamacare They are whores. Whores get screwed, that's how it works.
I've carried my own individual health insurance for 40 years. I've been screwed and tattooed by unethical insurance companies a number of times. Some of the tactics have gone beyond deceptive into (IMO) criminal.
As regards OC, my concern is for America and its people. Don't give a damn about insurance companies.