Tag: Blue Cross

There's the same-old, same-old that could seemingly (and probably will) carry a political conversation for an entire Presidential term with talk of restructuring in the Big 3; this morning we learn the UAW may be making concessions with General Motors.  There's the steady and continuing escalation in jobless claims and applications for benefits.  Autos and layoffs in Michigan.  We've been down that road before and we'll be down it again.

There's better... and more peculiar... news out there this morning, too, though.

We've got Attorney General Mike Cox taking on Blue Cross, for instance, over their decision to again dramatically hike health insurance rates on Michigan senior citizens.  According to the Ivory Tower:

"Blue Cross should stop putting profits over people and focus on its mission as the insurer of last resort," Cox said in a statement announcing the challenge.

Overall, average increases sought would be 56% for non-elderly people buying their own insurance; 42% for group conversion policyholders who purchase coverage they once had at work, and 31% for seniors with supplemental Medicare, also known as Medigap policies.

The massive hikes would slam more than 400,000 Michigan seniors, folks on fixed incomes who can afford it the least.  Of course, BC/BS claims they're caught between a rock and a hard place and can't afford NOT to hike rates.

I get tough times.  If you live in Great Lakes State then YOU get tough times.  Baseball, apple pie, hot dogs and tough times.  That's how we roll.  The Attorney General doesn't think Blue Cross is quite as pinched as they're claiming, though.  Remember, this is the same company that last year gave away more than $1.54 million in bonuses to members of their board of directors.

And while we're on the subject of inappropriate use of scant resources, the Detroit News checks in with the Detroit City Council which continues to break land-speed records for inappropriate behavior and irresponsible spending.

The City currently faces a $300 million budget deficit but the City Council has increased their own budget by 12 percent over the last three years and now spends over $6 million a year.

Read on...

Welcome to my Wednesday.

We've got the Associated Press working the budget angle, either months early or months late, depending on your perspective, because the state budget keeps hemorrhaging red ink to the tune of $5 million a day.  "Gov. Jennifer Granholm, lawmakers working on Michigan budget plan" the headline announces.

"About dang time," I reply quietly, assuming I'll read about how the Democratic administration is taking the pending deficit seriously.  "Never mind," I mutter as I realize that assumption truly is the mother of all... well... here, read for yourself:

Michigan is facing an estimated budget shortfall of $785 million in the current budget year, although that could grow as additional auto jobs are cut and the state unemployment rate increases. Money from the federal stimulus package will fill some of the budget hole.

But Granholm has said budget cuts will be needed even with the recovery act cash. Leaders of the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-controlled House have been meeting with administration officials on drawing up a list of what's expected to be more than $200 million in cuts and adjustments.

Emphasis mine.  So much for taking ANYTHING seriously.  

How many times did we here in 2007 that we NEEDED a record-shattering Democratic tax hike because A) it would balance the budget for forever and B) because we simply couldn't use one-time fixes anymore?  Now here we are, only two years later with a massive budget deficit and the Granholm-Cherry administration is using more one-time fixes.  

That sort of inconsistency is enough to drive a man to drink.  Literally, in the 2010 Gubernatorial candidate's case.

And the hits just keep on coming.  

Read on...