The PR nightmare haunting WellPoint Inc., the parent company behind Anthem Blue Cross, just keeps gaining momentum.

And in light of the 39% increases in premiums for individual health insurance that Anthem had planned for Californians, no one seems to feel very sorry for them.

According to the Washington Post's health care article, WellPoint is arguing that The Great Recession and the rising costs of medical care are behind the hikes.

But, while Californians struggle to pay their current individual health insurance premiums, WellPoint raked in a $2.7 billion dollar profit in the last quarter of 2009, a point that doesn't make them look very good at all.

Now President Obama is using WellPoint as an example to fuel his health care debate, while majority leader Harry Reid attacked "greedy insurance companies" who care about money and not the lives of their customers.

There are more than 800,000 people in California who purchase individual health insurance. With the rate hikes, thousands would be unable to pay premiums, which would in turn lead to another increase next year, unless something is done to slow the rising costs of insurance.