Despite what the Republicans say, it isn’t for a lot of people, especially if you have insurance companies targeting people who want to, you know, actually use their insurance for anything but a money sink. Not saying a single-payer, government run system would be without problems, but if you’re like the guy in the article, it’s hard to imagine it being worse.
Previously undisclosed records from Mitchell’s case reveal that Fortis had a company policy of targeting policyholders with HIV. A computer program and algorithm targeted every policyholder recently diagnosed with HIV for an automatic fraud investigation, as the company searched for any pretext to revoke their policy. As was the case with Mitchell, their insurance policies often were canceled on erroneous information, the flimsiest of evidence, or for no good reason at all, according to the court documents and interviews with state and federal investigators.
The revelations come at a time when President Barack Obama, in his frantic push to rescue the administration’s health care plan, has stepped up his criticism of insurers. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote later this week on an overhaul of the health system, which Obama has said is essential to do away with controversial and unpopular industry practices.
Insurance companies have long engaged in the practice of “rescission,” whereby they investigate policyholders shortly after they’ve been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. But government regulators and investigators who have overseen the actions of Assurant and other health insurance companies say it is unprecedented for a company to single out people with HIV.
[…]
Their motive, according to the judge, was obvious: “The court finds that Fortis wrongfully elevated its concerns for maximizing profits over the rights and interest of its customer.” In upholding Nettles’ verdict, the South Carolina Supreme Court similarly ruled that “Fortis was motivated to avoid the losses it would undoubtedly incur in supporting Mitchell’s costly medical condition.”
On a vaguely related topic, ever wonder how many doctors and nurses are beaten up by patients?
It blows, and it blows really hard. Humana and Sharp Hospital can go to hell for all I care. I want something different, I need that and deserve that. I’m paying for them so why not?
I don’t think anything can be worse than what had to go through several times already with these fcks. But ultimately, I should be careful of my wish as well 😀
Curious about the experience you guys have…
Yes, it can be worse… Medicare is the LARGEST denier of health care by far. Documented. Order of magnitude more than “bad insurance companies”. Single payer system would be the same. Structural necessity. It is so in every single payer system (lived in country with one, lost both mother and father to limits placed on care over certain age, without any other option available. Despite “bad insurance companies” in USA they’d certainly have lived couple decades more).
It’s working out quite well for me!
My above average wages and company paid premiums allows me pretty good insurance.
Unfortunately this privileged system that Republicans like, does not scale very well. Neither in coverage nor to others and premiums are skyrocketing.
Other than that, it’s just dandy.
#3 dusanmal
‘Medicare is the LARGEST denier of health care by far’
I guess you got that from the heritage foundation…
Anyways – assuming its true. Lets engage our brains and imagine why statistically this might be so.
What kind of people are in medicare? What kind of people need the most costly procedures? How do people who are without health insurance effect the health insurance figures? What kinds of situations might a procedure be denied reasonably?
Okay. Assuming you’ve got good answers to these questions. Now try and figure out how that might skew the figures.
And whilst you are at it why don’t you find the average cost per patient under medicare (even though invariably be the most expensive), and the satisfaction of people in medicare compared to satisfaction in insurance.
And how do you explain those figures?
#5–Dallas==close but no bandaid. The question is: how is your HEALTHCARE===not how is your insurance. Relative of mine had total insurance coverage. Long time smoker with emphysema. In the care of general practitioner with yearly exames. Turns out the doc never ordered a chest x-ray to screen against lung cancer because ((evidently)) the standard of care is no x-ray unless complaining of chest pain. My layperson’s appreciation of that is BULLSHIT!!!! Like you, this person had excellent insurance and CRAP CARE. Beware.
#6–freddy==you can’t fight the dismal.
Republican denigration of healthcare reform operates under the theory that “you CAN fool all the people all the time if you have a big enough advertising budget.”
Bobbo,
Seriously, do you have any experience concerning yourself that you would like to share? The question was,
“How’s The Current Health Care System Working Out For You?
and not “How’s the current health care system working out for your RELATIVES?”
You could either choose to answer the BIG BOLD question with a “vague” answer like mine, short form, or elaborate more BUT with your own experience. But I’ll give you credit for your crown story 🙂
It seems you are NOT happy about your health care as well and please just yes or no would do 😮
My health care is now provided by a free clinic, but I pay 80% of their cost.
I owed 90K after my insurance paid their portion of my 3 heart procedures. Combine that with my job loss, wife’s death, chapter 7, and whelp, I am out of my home Monday.
Having health insurance is not all that it is cracked up to be, and I won’t allow my children to become slaves to this government/economy to have it.
#10–theOne,solipsist==Fail. Who are we if not ourselves and those we love dearly? YOU may be that isolated, but most of us are not.
So put your teeth into it and get specific. The fact that your golf date had to be canceled to get an MRI is not grounds for your displeasure. Big Picture speaking.
meh…Healthcare for me is the same as it was 10 years ago, three jobs plus one cobra stint later. The only real difference is different doctor, twice as expensive, and we now have a copay and deductible. Quality is the same, cost is MUCH higher.
I live in Seattle, 2 hours south of Canada, go up to Vancouver all the time. I don’t know ANY of my Canadian drinking buddies who want to switch from their system to ours.
We DO have the best health care TECHNOLOGY on earth, but some of the worst ACCESS. Think of it this way. What if I build a car that goes 450mph, gets 190mpg, and can survive a head on collision at any speed safely…oh, it costs $12 billion dollars. So I can SAY I have the best car world, better than any car in say Canada. But if only 12 people can afford to buy, does it matter? Having “the best” is moot if people can’t get it or afford it. Maybe the Canadian cars can only go 125mph, get 30mpg, and are decently safe, but everyone can afford it. Who’s country would have better “transportation”? Similar, who’s country has better HEALTH.
The problem with the question
“How’s The Current Health Care System Working Out For You?”
My insurance went up 40% in the last year. Yes I’m with Blue Cross Blue Shield – and there isn’t any other choice in our area. Trying to change the policy to lower cost required re-evaluating our rating. Doing so raised the risk level because my wife had actually used some insurance (to the tune of < 500 USD for the year).
Eventually after a fight – we've managed to lower the rate somewhat by having a large deductible.
In terms of the actually health care? Hmm – I try to never go to the doctor cos I don't want to raise the rates. So I guess I'd say that was a pretty crappy setup – wouldn't you?
When I actually go to a doctor – I wouldn't say its terrible or great. I would say it was no better or worse than what I got under the NHS in the Uk. Its more troublesome with all the forms etc. Oh and I'd say for the few visits I've made, the queues in the Uk were the same or less.
In my experience in the US they are far more likely to want to give me some tablets or tests than in the Uk. In the Uk on occasion you'd go to the doctor, and the result was 'get some rest'. At the time it seems irritating because they didn't 'do' anything.
My overall perception is that the US system is an overcomplicated, expensive, under delivering shambles.
I should point out that I see the sharp edge of the wedge too because I do not get insurance through my employer as I'm in a different state. Part of the reason that I think the myth of 'the greatest system in the world' persists – is people do not see the actual cost.
Bobbo,
Here we go again, LMAO
The question was asked. You are telling me I NEED to elaborate and bore you and everyone else and that my state of “Humana and Sharp Hospital can go to hell.” isn’t strong enough? Pray how I could say worse than that already, without elaborating 🙂 Why don’t you elaborate more on what you’re trying to tell us with YOUR experience rather than your relatives. The crown story, according to you, is not enough info 🙂
And if you want me to elaborate like you did, then here’s a few,
1. There’s this one homeless guy at the beach that can’t get any service cause they thinks he’s like this one guy name Bobbo on DU
2. My 100th distant relative got service but they keep screwing up with her paperwork and she ended up paying tons of bills
3. I know this one guy name Bobbo that has nasty teeth but doesn’t want to do it because either he’s not interested in girls or because he’s not willing to pay the insane amount of money to have it redone.
Again, you are ASSUMING I’m rich? I golf? That I’m alone in life? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA and you are telling me I don’t get the big picture? 🙂 Oh how ironic our conversations are. Truly pathetic discussions with you so far.
Why don’t you humor me today by Googling and posting links of why people dislike their health services. That is what you do wright, others and not your own? 🙂
God, I absolutely love BSing with you…that is until you go way way off topic…which has already started LMAO. Goddamn, assuming I play golf…hahahhaha
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH *wipes tears*
Dr’s and the people who are where the rubber meets the road are top notch.
The Back office from hospitals all the way right on up to the top insurance company execs have their heads in their asses.
#4 Eric…
Wow… what fantasy planet are you living on. You think you will be able to pay for insurance when you are retired? You say that in your ideal world you can save up your working life and simply buy insurance to cover your medical needs when you are an old man.
Helloooo…. guess what? You can’t buy insurance at any price. No one will cover you at that age because they know you will file a claim.
So in your ideal world, your first medical crises after age 62 will bankrupt you. The second will kill you.
That is why Medicare was created… because senior citizens could not find medical coverage.
The problem is idiots like you FORGET that senior citizens in this country benefit from socialized medical care, and have for a long time. You have no idea how bad it was before Medicare when your idea of perfection was in place.
Mitchell was told that without further treatment his HIV would become full-blown AIDS within a year or two and he would most likely die within two years after that.
The most interesting part of the story is the influential group of dissident scientists that assert that there is no “scientific” evidence that HIV causes AIDS.
http://everythingimportant.org/AZT
theONe,goes hebephrenic–focus.
But why not? I have been sick only once in my life. Sinusitis (blocked sinus could not drainin) the Military. Would have killed me if untreated. Instead, a simple needle aspiration and I was good to go. The diagnostic required Hospital admission to a “ward” where 15-20 guys bunked up with one TV, one nurse, and we helped each other pass the time. Terrific care. Military docs had no interest in running tests that weren’t needed and they wanted me OUT of there. Just the way it should be.
So that and employer physicals is the only interaction I have had with non-dental healthcare other than accompanying my family members and a few friends. I talk doc lingo==really puts them off.
THANKS to Glass and Freddy. Together, that about sums up USA health system. If you are “happy” with your care===pay attention.
Obama has done a TERRIBLE JOB of selling shaved ice to Hawaiians. Just terrible. Should be a slam dunk for Single Payor.
Someday. If the retards will get out of the way and the corrupt rolled over.
What is “power and influence” in Washington Speak except the corruptness of our Politicians?
#21–Eric==well reconsidered. I’d be interested to know why you posted as you did at #4. At work with your boss looking over your shoulder? Stuck in battle mode and hadn’t really thought of it for awhile?
But Yank at #14 really hit it on the head: First time will bankrupt you, second kills you. Perfect==something even the liebertarian capitalists should understand.
The Long and Short===healthcare is NOT a proper subject of free market regulation==much less an employer based benefit.
No–think of water. Why have socialized government owned water distribution and removal? Why not for profit water? We all should be willing to inform ourselves of all the different plans==but no home composting.
Only the ignorant defend our system==or the corrupt. As in so many things.
Bobbo,
See, now how easy was that to get you to “elaborate” why and how you were involved. Much better than getting piss and accusing, once again hahahah, people of what they are are not 😀
Since you were nice to elaborate on yours, I’ll do so with mine.
1. Both Humana and Sharp cannot tell me which services were out of network! I mean, no one in various departments; not even Sharp insurance department knows. WTF? Every single time I gone it it’s the same thing and I get charge for out of network services. It is only know that I know which services are not in service and reject them myself. Otherwise I be screwed over again.
2. I came to ER after 3 weeks of sleep apnea because I fainting, at 11PM. I checked in, they toss me on a wheelchair, left me in the service room behind the counter and eventually rolled me into the fcking hallway and left me there…half dead til 3AM. By that time, I had enough energy to tell them to go to hell for treating me like sht and walk home, naked and in the freezing cold, with the shorts I came in.
3. Human have not and cannot process any claims timely and properly. After 4 years and countless debt collector chases I can only wish the worse for these people.
So yea, Humana and Sharp can go to hell! 🙂
theAbusedONe==weren’t the services NOT PAID FOR the ones that were out of network? Should have been somewhat “obvious?”
You went to ER for Sleep Apnea? I also would have moved you to the end of the triage list===not seen until every other person there is seen.
So–sifting thru the outrage==you are upset that your healthplan did not cover regular visits to a family/general practitioner, or the provider was overbooked and could not get to you?
Yes, that is a function of over emphasis on specialized care and lack of support for the generalist who should be paid more and given more respect.
Sounds like you too would benefit from Socialized Medicine. Go Team USA!!!!!!
Get government out of healthcare. In the free market, competition leads to better care for cheaper prices. So simple a caveman could do it.
In the free market, doctors would provide the best care for the amount of money a patient could afford, instead of the way it is now – providing the care delineated by the insurance companies which is regulated by the government, or the way it will be – providing the care delineated by the government.
Yes, all hail “free market” health care. Where the rich get whatever they want, the middle class lives in fear of going bankrupt if they get sick, and the poor just die.
You cant have a free market when there’s no consumer choice. If i don’t like the cost of the new tv, I don’t buy one. If I don’t like the cost of my heart surgery, I’m a dead man. There’s no practical economic consideration when its your life (or a loved ones) that hangs in the balance.
Mine is great. I chose the path of getting a good education after getting out of the military and now I work at a great company that pays me well and provides excellent coverage.
In hindsight, I’ve earned it. I could have chosen a path of not pursuing school and doing minimum wage jobs for minimum education and minimum effort, but I didn’t.
Government did not do this for me. I did this for me. ANYONE can do this. Liberals will argue with a 1% scenario over why someone chose to go down the wrong path (perhaps due to a genetic predisposition). Do I sound insensitive? Perhaps. But I wasn’t born with a spoon in my mouth. That being said, if you’re handicapped, too young, or too old then I personally would not mind helping out. But if you’re simply poor and old enough to work, you have no sympathy from me.
Healthcare is not an entitlement nor is it covered under the general welfare clause that liberals love to reinterpret.
Latest Health Care Polls: http://tinyurl.com/yj2utfs
More to the point within the philosophical underpinnings of free market theory: YOU know whether you need/want a TV. Not true with heart surgery.
Healthcare is NOT a proper subject of free market regulation. Those who argue that case are either retarded, LIEbertarian fruitcakes, or profiting from the corrupt system.
BTW==that is an excellent picture for the OP. There are similar pictures showing blood letting, frog swallowing, and skull incisions.
Science moves on.
Hah, hah. “I got mine—screw everyone else!” Ok, a good and fine religious exception for those of upstanding moral character.
I don’t know which is worse: the shortsightedness or the hypocrisy. But being both, I guess there is no real reason to rank order the defect of the conservative mind.
Good for you Guyver. I work hard too. The difference is I realize how precarious my situation is.
What happens if you lose your job? What happens if you get sick and your insurance decides you’re too expensive. What happens if your employer makes changes to the plan because its too expensive and times are tough? What if there’s a medication that your doc says you need, but your insurance company says you don’t?
One day you may be surprised to find out exactly how much what you “worked for” is really worth.
I think Guyver’s appreciation of his healthcare benefit is about as functional as McGuyvers explosive devices: they “sound good” but actually don’t work if you try to use them.
Heh, heh.
Good job tcc3. It also helps to be in excellent health to give our healthcare system a good review.
Liberals tragically whine about everything and seem to struggle with living a normal life (unless government comes to their rescue).
In order to make up for their shortcomings of living in the real world, they try to get on an intellectual high horse so that they can feel better about themselves.
If you’re old enough to work, then earn your health care coverage. Life isn’t fair. Deal with the consequences of your decisions. It’s called being responsible. Suck it up.
#31 tcc3
Right. It’s all smiles and roses until something ‘unexpected’ happens. Say to do with your finances, or your health. Then not so much. And if it does go wrong it goes soooo much more wrong.
To Guyver – congrats on your success and great career through hard work. But really the question is, do you like paying more for less? You must answer yes.
Additionally do you like to pay more for less, and in doing so lead to other people suffering and deaths? Again seems like you are answering in the affirmative.
Seems like you could help you some of your fellow humans, get a better outcome for you your family and pay much less money (on average less than half). That’s not theory – look at any other industrialized nation.
Even if you don’t care about your fellow human. Even if you HATE poor, non hardworking humans. For purely selfish reasons (money + outcome) you’d still win.