WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, responded to a report released by WellPoint this week on premium increases.

“As we get closer to health insurance reform, insurance companies will stop at nothing to scare consumers with inaccurate, incomplete information. The report released by WellPoint is another attempt by the insurance industry to hijack health reform and defeat the public option. Without health insurance reform, Ohio premiums have risen 92 percent since 2001, while WellPoint profits have shot up 600 percent. WellPoint reported $2.5 billion in profits last year, with its CEO earning $9.84 million. WellPoint’s threat to raise premiums is business as usual for them.

“The insurance industry business model is to deny coverage, deny care, and raise rates. This is an industry that places arbitrary caps on the amount of care you can receive in a year or in your lifetime – even if it’s against the recommendation of doctors. This is an industry that, in many cases, considers domestic abuse, pregnancy, and rape to be pre-existing conditions.

“We know what we need to do. We must have a public option to keep costs down and the insurance industry honest. Without competition through a public option, the insurance industry will continue to take advantage of American consumers.  Under health insurance reform, big insurance companies will no longer be able to get away with business as usual.”

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