Anthem Healthcare in Maine

Anthem Heathcare, which just backed down on increases of premiums in California that averaged 25% and would have been as high as 39% for some customers, also runs Anthem Blue Cross in Maine. The AP reports: "The Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plan in Maine is asking for increases of about 23 percent this year for some individual policyholders. Last year, they raised rates up to 32 percent." (I wrote about ABCBS of Maine last October.)

I hope Olympia Snowe takes note of this. She has been a great disappointment to me, since she seemed to be someone who sincerely cares about the healthcare issue. Recently, however, she joined the usual PTR folks in stating that the Senate plan was probably unconstitutional, voted against it, and has gone on the record as saying that there is no hurry for healthcare reform. I guess there's no hurry if you have congressional healthcare and don't face a premium increase of 25%. If she thinks that waiting for a constructive Republican proposal will lead to decent healthcare for her constitutuents she's living in a dreamworld.