Health insurer Regence BlueShield is flush in cash. They've amassed over $890 million dollars in capital and excess surplus, according to the state Insurance Commissioner, an increase of 78 percent since 2003. Why do they need so much extra money? Regence says it needs enough funds in reserves to fight the Avian Flu pandemic, should it ever come. No kidding, that's the reason they give.

They're certainly not using it to lower your health care costs. In fact, this month, Regence is shocking individual policy holders with rate increases of up to 40 percent. The largest rate hikes will be borne by the elderly. To add insult to injury, the announcement of the rate increase came less than a month after insurance industry lobbyists convinced legislators in Olympia that it was unnecessary to restore public oversight over individual health insurance rates.

This is piracy at its worst. Legislative inaction has allowed health insurance pirates to amass treasure chests of our premium dollars, while making the poor, sick, vulnerable -– and now even the middle class -- walk the plank. This extortion has a staggering impact on human lives.

When Karen LaCasse of Ballard saw her premium increase $165 this month, she said, "I thought maybe they're trying to give me a heart attack so they won't have to insure me any longer."

"Many small businesses don't offer any benefits at all. I'm one of the lucky ones that can," says Randy Joseph who owns a small CPA firm that has their coverage through Regence. "But, when you're hit with double-digit rate increases, it's tempting to scale back coverage or drop insurance entirely."

In fact, many Regence patients will inevitably come to the conclusion that they can no longer afford health insurance, and join the ranks of the uninsured. People without coverage don't just disappear. When they do get ill, they find themselves in an emergency room, the only place required by law to treat the uninsured.

Each year, Washington hospitals and other health care providers spend nearly $1 billion in uncompensated care for the uninsured. The cost for this care, of course is invariably shifted to the insured whose rates rise as a consequence.

And, thus, the spiral continues.

Insurance companies maximize their profitability by cherry-picking the healthy and the wealthy, while excluding -- or pricing out of the market -- those with who are older, sick, and most in need of care. The numbers of uninsured rise. We're all left with the tab. It's time to do something about it.

On Aug. 4, you have an opportunity to take action to end insurance piracy at the "Pirates of the Health Care-ibbean" March on Regence, organized by Washington CAN! -– the state's largest grassroots social, economic and racial justice organization. Over 20 churches, labor unions, senior organizations, health provider groups, and community organizations have endorsed the march, including the WA State Labor Council, the Lutheran Public Policy Office of WA, the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans, Para los Niños, Physicians for a National Health Program, and the Service Employees International Union.

Join us at Seattle University as we march to Regence state headquarters in downtown Seattle to rally against insurance piracy. We will raise our voices loud enough to be heard in Olympia and Washington, DC.

We will send a message to lawmakers that it's time for an end to health policies written by and for the drug and insurance companies. It's time for bold solutions that guarantee quality, affordable health care for all residents. It's time to put people before profits.

We will walk the plank no longer. Health care for all -- NOW!

Pirates of the Health Care-ibbean: A March for Universal Health Care takes place on Sat. Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. at Seattle University at 10th Ave. and Madison St. The march continues to Regence headquarters at Ninth Ave. and Howell St.

For more information, visit http://www.washingtoncan.org or call 206-389-0050 x109.

Joshua Welter is the Organizing Director of Washington CAN!, the state's largest grassroots social, economic and racial justice organization. John Denooyer is a member of Washington CAN! and a board member of Real Change.