We've seen some positive action in the last few days since together, we started "Throw the Bums Out." Your input is clearly making a difference. In hearings yesterday in Washington, Congressman Henry Waxman slammed the executives at WellPoint stating, "corporate executives at WellPoint are thriving but policyholders are paying the price." His committee found internal documents revealing in 2008, 39 company executives received salaries of $1 million or more. In addition, in 2007-8, they spent $27 million for 103 executive retreats including stays at luxury resorts in Hawaii. This is our money, our reimbursement and our coverage is being denied, our health being compromised, spent on excessive compensation and expensive retreats -unacceptable and intolerable. We must encourage Congressman Waxman to keep the heat on WellPoint and its executives, Congressman Waxman is our hero of the day - email him at waxman.staff@mail.house.gov and tell him what a great job he's doing. He needs to know we are with him 100% and he must not relent. As for WellPoint, the company may as well change their slogan to: "Our greed and profit, you lose your health."
Another good move from Congress yesterday. Astonishingly, health insurance companies are exempt from anti-trust laws, meaning, they dominate and control any market they want without competition or regard for consumer rights. Thankfully, yesterday, the House voted to repeal the health insurance industry's exemption from anti-trust laws. This means companies like WellPoint can no longer corner the market in California and other states! Let's keep the pressure on!
Now we need to let WellPoint and Anthem Blue Cross know we intend to follow them around the rest of the country as they attempt to raise rates. According to a report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, WellPoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross, not only intends to raise the rates by double digits in California, but 11 other states as well. Those include Colorado, Conn, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, NY, Virginia and Wisconsin. All the more reason to Throw The Bums Out of California and move the fight across the country.
Let's get going.