Health Insurance Insider: 'They Dump the Sick'

Health Insurance Insider: 'They Dump the Sick'

abcnews.go.com

Frustrated Americans have long complained that their insurance companies valued the all-mighty buck over their health care. Today, a retired insurance executive confirmed their suspicions, arguing that the industry that once employed him regularly rips off its policyholders.

"They confuse their customers and dump the sick, all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors," former Cigna senior executive Wendell Potter said in remarks prepared for a hearing on health insurance today before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

(visit the link for the full news article)





[edit on 24-6-2009 by kiwifoot]

It's something everyone knows, but that an industry insider comes out and says it can only be a good thing.

This guy had better watch his back though. Whistleblowers tend not to have a high survival rate.

I respect him for doing it though.

This is timed well with this too:

abcnews.go.com...

President Barack Obama said he "absolutely" expects to achieve health care reform by the end of this year because he believes the American people share his urgency.

abcnews.go.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 24-6-2009 by kiwifoot]

This story conveniently comes out just as Big Daddy Soetoro is about to nationalize health care.

Soviet propaganda seems amateurish compared to the US propaganda machine.
They are truly the masters of it. And the american public eats it all up before downing it with a beer, and then proceeding to watch a game of NFL.

Very convenient indeed. Rest assured that if Obama successfully nationalizes healthcare, I will start buying stock in casket manufacturers. If they think the sick are being ignored now...

Why does it take this person to tell Congress how Americans are getting ripped off by corporations?

Congress is already aware of this fact because many times they write the laws that allow this to happen.

Dog an pony trail IMO. Obama and gang are only looking for sad stories. Companies are profit driven and will do whatever it takes to satisfy those who invest in them.

Maybe they should line up some veterans, so the veterans can tell how government sponsored health care is treating them.

Ask the government why they too are dumping the sick.

reply to post by jibeho


So what would you do about the increasingly corrupt health care industry?

I hear you talking about how you don't want to nationalize healthcare, but you don't seem to have any options for reforming the currently amazingly corrupt system we have...

Originally posted by GoodFella
This story conveniently comes out just as Big Daddy Soetoro is about to nationalize health care.

Soviet propaganda seems amateurish compared to the US propaganda machine.
They are truly the masters of it. And the american public eats it all up before downing it with a beer, and then proceeding to watch a game of NFL.

'Soetoro' is hardly nationalizing health care. He is forcing us to buy these criminal policies, and pay the insurance companies that, for so many years, have been profiting off of the pain and misery of the supposedly insured.

Believe me, nationalized health care would be a godsend, when the alternative is putting our lives in the hands of these despicable corporations.

Think this is propaganda? Honestly believe the insurance companies have the "insured's" best interests at heart? You have a lot of reading to do.

The only thing that will stop the insurance companies is a nationalize health care.

If you have a mixed system the insurance companies will just use there tricks to DUMP the sick onto the government system.

The government has more then one health care system there is the VA system that works for many of us veterans and the government also has a health care insurance for government employees that also is much better then what the privet insurance companies offer when you check-into all the tricks the insurance companies pull to not pay out on costs.

There should be a insurance for people with pre existing health problems that these people can afford.
many of these people with these health problems can not afford insurance once they become disabled and can not work but it in most cases still takes a year or more before they can get on SSI/SSD and have a income.
then they can not buy new insurance because of there pre existing conditions.

Although I am not thrilled about government involvement in the health care industry, one positive effect would be to force health insurance companies to stop such practices, or lose much of their business.
The sad fact is that although Republicans oppose Obama's health care plan, heretofore they have done nothing to change the current system, which is cost prohibitive to many Americans, and riddled with tactics such as those mentioned in this post.

Originally posted by HunkaHunka
reply to post by jibeho

 

So what would you do about the increasingly corrupt health care industry?

I hear you talking about how you don't want to nationalize healthcare, but you don't seem to have any options for reforming the currently amazingly corrupt system we have...

The coverage that my wife and I pay for certainly works for us and quality care saved my life 15 years ago. I want a choice. Period. I don't want a bureaucrat determining my course of treatment from a govt. reference manual of customary protocols.

You can start with putting an end to frivolous law suits and extraordinary jury settlements. Eliminate pharma. advertisements. Lower malpractice premiums. Stop the double dippers.... etc etc etc. I am too tired to continue. Medicare and Medicaid... Maybe I'll talk about them tomorrow.

Being self employed I was finally able to afford health insurance at 40 yrs of age. Never filed a claim, never used my insurance and payed my premiums faithfully on time. At 50 yrs of age, my company dumped me, no explanation, zip, nada.

I want the same kind of health care the President, my congressmen and my Representatives get. After all my taxes pay for their health coverage.

reply to post by whaaa


Trust me. None of us will ever get what "they" get and they certainly won't want what will be offered to us.

This plan may create a little friendly competition at first but one can never compete and win against the government in the long run. This plan will destroy an industry and the countless jobs that are attached to it.

Anyone ever ask why we don't open the USPS to private competition? No one could ever compete against the govt. subsidy and still charge .44 a letter to make a profit. AMTRAK is govt. subsidized and has never turned a profit. They also have no competition and no incentive to improve because they are on the handout list. Once govt. gets the hammerlock on health care the mudslide will soon follow when all competition is wiped out.

Imagine going to a govt. clinic to seek a simple treatment. The clinic informs you that before we can do this for you we must give you this special vaccine that we think you should have. No vaccine no treatment. Good bye Free Will...

I certainly don't have a solution. However, ramrodding this plan through congress before they take their Summer break is ridiculous. NO one will have time to read this one either. I can only imagine what will be buried in the books.

Obama holding court on ABC is a travesty.

Soros financing this campaign is ridiculous.

Obama stumping for this plan and stirring up fear and panic is obsurd given our nations current economic state. He wants to pass it and worry about financing it later. Open that wallet just a little wider America. He says it WILL pass. What does this mean? Can he predict the votes or can he strongly influence the votes??

[edit on 25-6-2009 by jibeho]

If they think the sick are being ignored now...

Currently the sick middle class who aren't poor enough to qualify for medicaid are being ignored - I'm not ok with that.

I've lived in the UK for 3 years under a dreaded system of nationalized healthcare and you know what....it isn't so bad. It isn't perfect, but when I'm sick I go to the doctors no matter what my income is.





[edit on 25-6-2009 by Merigold]

[edit on 25-6-2009 by Merigold]

Originally posted by Merigold

If they think the sick are being ignored now...

Currently the sick middle class who aren't poor enough to qualify for medicaid are being ignored - I'm not ok with that.

I've lived in the UK for 3 years under a dreaded system of nationalized healthcare and you know what....it isn't so bad. It isn't perfect, but when I'm sick I go to the doctors no matter what my income is.





[edit on 25-6-2009 by Merigold]

[edit on 25-6-2009 by Merigold]

I agree, it is hard for me to add somethng to this debate being based in the UK.

Although I think I can safely say that something in the US health system has to give. It seems so foreign to me that people have to go without health care because they can't afford it.

On the other hand it's like the UK dental system, imagine if the US didn't have insurance companies for dental but had to pay most of it out of their own pocket like here. No wonder England has the worst teeth in the Western World!

TRUE STORY:

We went to get a little back up supply of my wifes meds. The insurance company DENIED the refills because it was before the allowed "re up date". So we just asked the lady if we could order the refills without going through the insurance.

To our SHOCK this is what we found out.
Normal price of my wifes meds ON INSURANCE: $4 and $9 respectively.

Price of my wifes meds with NO INSURANCE: $4 and $7 dollars!

I was so FING mad, I just stood there shaking! The NERVE of these assholes to DENY us our medication and to regularly charge us $2 more for this privledge!!!!!!!!

reply to post by kiwifoot


Anyone who walks into an E/R in this country will be treated. No one is turned away especially at hospitals designated as County hospitals. This is why our E/Rs have turned into family medicine clinics. The cost of this care given to these individuals is passed on to the taxpayer.

The county hospital in my area wanted to charge a flat $10 fee (bargain) for the E/R services to help absorb some of the costs and it was shut down because the politicians didn't think that the patients could afford it. However, these same patients have plenty of money for cigarettes, alcohol, McDonalds and tattoos.

Our system definitely needs help but throwing money at a problem when you don't have the money to spend will not ultimately solve the problem. There is a price to be paid for everything. NOTHING is free.

Originally posted by jibeho
reply to post by kiwifoot

 

Anyone who walks into an E/R in this country will be treated. No one is turned away especially at hospitals designated as County hospitals. This is why our E/Rs have turned into family medicine clinics. The cost of this care given to these individuals is passed on to the taxpayer.

The county hospital in my area wanted to charge a flat $10 fee (bargain) for the E/R services to help absorb some of the costs and it was shut down because the politicians didn't think that the patients could afford it. However, these same patients have plenty of money for cigarettes, alcohol, McDonalds and tattoos.

Our system definitely needs help but throwing money at a problem when you don't have the money to spend will not ultimately solve the problem. There is a price to be paid for everything. NOTHING is free.

I really don't think $10 is bad value for money. I'd be willing to pay if I had to see my doctor in an emergency. I think the key would be to allow visits first and payment later.

I always stood by the assertion that I'd be willing to pay about %20-30 more tax if it meant free healthcare, dental care and medicines. Maybe even more. I'm saying that from a UK perspective where we already have the NHS, if we had your system I wouldn't know where to start.

What happens when someone is treated in the ER, then has to have ongoing care, with no insurance? I mean if they cannot afford it, however if they don't get treatment they will end up in the ER again, who pays?


[edit on 25-6-2009 by kiwifoot]

reply to post by kiwifoot


Right now its the taxpayers that foot the bill for medicare, medicaid and e/r visits for those not covered by anything.

The system is dizzying and is swelling with internal corruption and fraud.

I am very grateful for the insurance plan that we have through my wife's employer. However, it is not cheap but it allows us to make our own decisions and to choose our doctors that are part of the network. We make sacrifices in other areas in order to afford our plan. Unfortunately, many people would rather have the latest cell phone or gadget, video game or text messaging plan than spend money on a plan for their families security and well being.

reply to post by jibeho


Do you think that taking the choice out of the hands of the public is the key? I mean a health sevice paid for by taxes?

I envy the fact you can choose your health care, and applaud the choices you've made.

I see it like this, is having the freedom to chose and chosing wrong more important than having the right choices made for you by somebody else? Or somewhere inbetween?

It really is a complex issue, obviously! Sorry if I'm ignorant mate.

I have been a victim of these "insurance" companies and I cant wait for them to go the way of the Dodo. They all should be forced to become non profit organizations or face extinction as people move to the national health care when it becomes available.