Any momentum gained by President Obama when the issue of exorbitant insurance premium hikes was the healthcare topic du jour last month seems to be all but forgotten as Insurance continues to conduct business as usual. In Mass., the Blues in that state face fighting caps on their rates as its governor, Duval Patrick, reviews requests for increases of anywhere from 8 to 32 percent.

In California, the apparent epicenter of the firestorm over rate hikes, insurance companies seem loathe to change as well, citing the “increasing costs of healthcare” as  a reason for those hikes. All of this movement by Insurance is forcing Obama to take his message to the public to get support for reform. He’ll begin his week by doing so today in Philadelphia.

Wise move? It’s perhaps his only move. With the GOP urging going back to the drawingboard, moderate Dems uneasy over the pricetag of reform ($1T), and House liberal Dems suspicious of Senate motives once the bill is passed; it appears that Obama is turning to the only group left to fully convince the utility of a healthcare overhaul — the American people. | LINK

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