Beware of insurance giants bearing gifts

Is this supposed to make me feel better? The health-care industry offering to trim $2 trillion in "future costs" for health insurance over the next decade.

The groups aim to achieve the proposed savings by using new efficiencies to trim the rise in health-care costs by 1.5 percent a year, the officials said. ...

"We are developing consensus proposals to reduce the rate of increase in future health and insurance costs through changes made in all sectors of the health system," the groups wrote to the president. "We are committed to taking action in private-public partnership to create a more stable and sustainable health care system."

I have news for these people. I was already priced out of the present costs over a year ago and see nothing in my future that will allow me to meet payments that are contained by 1.5 percent. On a $750 monthly payment, we're talking about what, about $11.00? Sardonic laughter.

We need a affordable single payer option. Why aren't we seeing that on the table in these sham negotiations? [graphic]

Update: Ezra agrees with me, only with much more wonk.

More from Ezra. Maybe it's a better sign than I think.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]