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Let's review.

1) The economy, although showing some signs of improvement, is still in horrible shape.  The unemployment rate is hovering around 9.7%.  This means roughly 14.7 million (that's 14,700,000) people are out of work.

2) Obama and his rapidly shrinking Congressional glee club are trying to push through a health care bill that, by offering some sort of government plan, is supposed to provide an alternative to the evil health care insurance companies.

3) Public support has been almost non-existent for any of the health care bills that have been dreamed up by Obama, the House, the Senate, and Nancy Pelosi, who seems to be living in a world of her own.  This seems to imply that the American public would rather deal with the evil health insurance companies than an ineffective government medical bureaucracy.

Private health insurance companies do not want health care reform.  The thought of a public health care program run by the government sends them running to their lobbyists pushing wheelbarrows filled with cash.  And that cash has been working as groups all over the country have popped up and rallied against government driven reform.  The Tea Party army has allowed the insurance companies to stay in the background.

But the battle isn't over.  Obama and company are trying to make a last ditch effort to put some plan, any plan, forward that can muster enough votes to slip through.  Obama's credibility is on the line, so he is motivated to get this done.

In what is the worst case of timing, or an ultimate act of arrogance, several major health insurance companies have just announced a major increase in health care premium rates.

Anthem Blue Cross is raising rates as much as 39% for certain group and individual plans.  WellPoint has announced double digit hikes in 11 states.  Rates are soaring all over the country. Insurers have been seeking to raise premiums 24 percent in Connecticut, 23 percent in Maine, 20 percent in Oregon and a wallet-popping 56 percent in Michigan!

Let's review again.  Unemployment high.  Economy limping along.  Government trying to offer health care alternative.

Yes, it seems to be a great time to raise insurance premiums by as much as ten times the rate of inflation.

And by the way, it's not as though they are hurting financially.  Big health insurers are making boatloads of money. America’s five largest health insurers made a total profit of $12.2 billion last year; that was 56 percent higher than in 2008, according to a report from Health Care for America Now.

Food for thought: did you know that health care insurers are exempt from federal anti-trust laws?

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