America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) criticized the health reform legislation pending in the Senate Finance Committee by claiming that it would result in an increase in insurance premiums. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of the consumer health organization Families USA, about this development:

"Today's criticism by the insurance lobby gives hypocrisy a bad name.

"The insurance lobby now claims that health care reform will cause significant premium increases, conveniently forgetting that they imposed significant premium increases during the past decade that are making health coverage unaffordable for families and businesses.

"In the decade of 2000 to 2009, average family insurance premiums for employer-based health coverage increased from $6,772 to $13,073-an increase of 93 percent while median worker earnings rose by only 19 percent.

"As a result, premiums rose 4.9 times faster than earnings-even though those rising premiums purchased 'thinner' coverage with higher deductibles and copayments as well as fewer benefits.

"The insurance lobby's scare tactics are ironic and deplorable. They are like a poker player who complains about his hand when, in fact, he is the dealer."

Source
Families USA