The Health Insurance firms listed on the NYSE reported the following earnings for Q1 2011 as compared to Q1 2010.

UnitedHealth Earnings up 10% on a 10% increase in business
WellPoint Earnings up 6%
Aetna Earnings up 3%
Humana Earnings up 22%
Health Net Loss
Cigna Earnings up 52%

http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/spe...ealth-insurers

The average earnings increase was 15% if you do not include the losses at Health Net. Including them would reduce this number to closer to 12%. This is quite healthy but not in the 39% to 48% reported in the media.

You can expect to continue to pay more for health care. Obamacare mandated some procedures not normally previously covered and eliminated insurance company’s right to exclude previously existing conditions from coverage. Treatment for PEC’s normally had an exclusion period before coverage would kick in. These may be good ideas, but they cost money. As additional phases of Obamacare come into effect, they will continue to drive up health costs. Insurance premiums and deductibles will, of necessity, rise with the increases in cost. There is no ‘free lunch’.