Blue Cross decision a smart one
State insurance commissioner Kathleen Sebelius made the right decision Monday morning when she vetoed the merger between Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Kansas and Anthem insurance of Indianapolis.
There's little doubt that such a merger — or actually, an acquisition, since Blue Cross would be swallowed up in a corporation that spans the United States — would raise premiums for its customers.
When a nonprofit company suddenly becomes a for-profit company, something's got to change in order for that company to continue making money, whether that's increasing premiums or decreasing coverage.
It's not rocket science.
And that's why Sebelius made the decision to say no to the acquisition — in order to protect the thousands of Kansans covered by Blue Cross.
Major health care organizations in the state had also opposed the merger, including the Kansas Medical Society, the Kansas Hospital Association, and the Kansas State Nurses Association.
Blue Cross policyholders didn't exactly give the plan a resounding "yes" either. Just 63 percent of those voting approved the deal — just over half. And 40 percent of policyholders that could vote chose not to vote at all.
There's no doubt that insurance is already expensive. A married couple with children can easily spend hundreds of dollars a month for decent coverage.
As a rule, premiums generally do increase each year. That's something people have come to expect.
This merger would have made it even more expensive, and difficult, for Kansans struggling to make ends meet to have good health care.
When Kathleen Sebelius took office in 1994, she said that as part of her job, she would do her best to protect the Kansas consumer.
She's done just that.
— JENNIFER WILSON
