A new government report released yesterday shows health care spending in 2009 increased at its lowest rate in 50 years – only 4%. While a slow increase seems like a good thing – the truth behind the numbers is troubling. Health care spending is down because people who’ve lost their jobs can’t afford to see doctors anymore. 6.3 million people lost their employee-sponsored health insurance in 2009 – causing 59% of patients in the country to see their doctors less often now. On the heels of this report – one health insurance company plans to ensure those spending levels remain low by forcing even more people out of their private health insurance coverage – and preventing them from seeing doctors. The company Blue Shield of California announced plans to raise insurance rates as much as 59% starting on March 1st. So now more people will be dropped because they can’t afford their plans. 50 million people are uninsured in the country – and that number is growing. Democrats passed health reform to cover 98% of the population – now Republicans want to repeal it. Besides preserving big bonuses for Health insurance CEOs - what’s the GOP’s plan to fix health insurance in this country? It’s simple – they don’t have one - and we're screwed.