What has the Insurance Industry done for health care?

[unapatriciated]

Run time: 01:14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSV0wXGT48   Posted on YouTube: July 22, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 23, 2009 By DU Member: unapatriciated Views on DU: 1099

 
They gave little care and collected lots of money.

[ixion]

1. exactly

as long as for-profit companies are involved, I will never support anything resembling mandated insurance.

[florida08]

2. excellent

Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

[stlsaxman]

3. he NAILS it!

[ScottLand]

4. He says it well.

Come to think of it, this is our entire existence. It's not about America. It's about business. Not how can we help each other; it's how can we make the most money for our companies.

[Donnachaidh]

5. he's right -- I have a case in point that still pisses me off

My son has a bleeding disorder, a mild one. However, we do need to keep on hand medication for him for an emergency. And now that he is a teenager, the cost of that ONE treatment is around 10K. I keep 10 thousand dollars worth of medicine in my refrigerator. That's the equivalent of 10 vials of medicine.

So -- Blue Cross/Blue Shield was our health insurance. The local Hemophilia group had always provided the meds at their rate, which was 1 grand per vial. It is really pricey, but it gets worse.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield tells me I can no longer get the meds thru the group - I am REQUIRED to get it through the local CVS pharmacy. Well, CVS has to special order it, and their price is $1250 per vial. A TWENTY FIVE PER CENT increase in price. And oh yeah, we now have to cover 20% of the cost.

I cannot begin to tell you how I fought to keep getting the meds through our local group. I was FURIOUS - the local pharmacist is NOT up on the latest information on meds for this disorder, and it's doubtful he would be - as this form is RARE. They have to special order it every time.

It was only after I threatened to go to the media that I was able to get them to agree to allow us to get our meds at a cheaper cost through a group that I trust, and more importantly, understands the disorder completely.

I came away with a very bad attitude on this one. Someone somewhere is geting fat pockets with this sort of insane crap.

[nightrain]

10. I'm so very sorry to hear about the added financial cost

of your son's medicine. We really need to have major real healthcare reform. Thanks for sharing your reality.

[florida08]

11. was touched by your story

and even more by your perseverance. Also outraged. But it proves that Phrma and BC/BS are in bed together..glad you kicked one of them out. Have BC/BS too. They have large lobbyist fees.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association upped its lobbying expenditures by a full million, to 2.8 million dollars in the second quarter;
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/2009/07/health_care_continues_its_inte.html?hpid=topnews?hpid=topnews

[Donnachaidh]

15. I'm still very worried about what Washington is cooking up

My son is the equivalent of an *untouchable* as far as purchasing ANY form of health insurance on our own. I've had agents LAUGH in my face over the phone when I made calls just to see what sort of cost it would be for us, out of pocket. NO price was EVER given. Hell, I couldn't even get the Gerber grow up baby insurance, because of his disorder.

He, and thousands of others with various bleeding disorders are the 21st century lepers. Insurance lepers.

And I'm really getting nervous hearing about the *reform* that may or may not cover anyone. We desperately NEED this kid on some form of insurance that is portable, for us, and for him later when he's an adult.

He's healthy as a horse otherwise. He's not planning on becoming a stuntman, nor will he be going into dangerous professions. We NEED the stability of something that will keep him from devastating financial ruin - and if anyone is NOT covered, it will be MY kid.

I cannot tell you how devastating that thought is. Words cannot express my fears.

[unapatriciated]

13. I had very similar fights with Blue Cross/California Care during the 90's

Mine revolved around out of network doctors and hospitals. Seems Childrens Los Angeles was out of network for my HMO. I had to pay 20% of my son's first hospital stay (3 months-over $200,000.00). It seems they "forgot" to inform me that you need to pre-qualify an out of network facility before being admitted. We had a referral to see the specialist only, my son was so ill by the time they referred him, he was immediately hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
His medications and physical therapy coverage was another nightmare. Spent over 15 years fighting them over denied claims. Even if they approved a treatment they could still review the claim months later and take back monies already paid.


edited to add: the hmo doctor tried to get him released and sent home the day after he was admitted (his facility was on the hook for the specialist physician fees). He made the statement (in front of my son) that it would be better for him to go home and let his mother care for him.

[wysimdnwyg]

6. Why can't people see this?

This is entirely the point. For-profit insurance companies are in the business for one reason - PROFIT. How f'ing hard is that to understand? For all of the complaints about government-run health care coverage (and I have some of my own there), any government-run plan will be NON-PROFIT, and will therefore start out well ahead of anything a for-profit company could do.

[Pharaoh]

7. The whole capitalist

make as much money as you can meme is killing us all. And not just in healthcare. It is the Capitalism which is destroying the planet.

[indimuse]

8. bravo!

knr!

[nightrain]

9. Rec--thank you so much for posting this. Weiner is fantastic,

totally on point!

[unapatriciated]

14. I wish I had seen the full version first. it is better,so I posted it too.

I hate posting similar vids but thought his full statement was great and it was to late to edit this one.

[edc]

12. Corporatocracy

The failure of either Congress or the White House to even consider a single payer health care system is an act of gross malfeasance. There is more at stake here than even health care reform. Whether the issue is military spending, agricultural subsidies, regulatory reform, labor relations, environmental and energy issues, social justice and civil rights, the federal government has been captured by specific corporate financial interests and the workings of government reflect only those interests whenever they conflict with the general welfare.

[avaistheone1]

16. I like what Mr Weiner had to say about the Republicans.

Think of what America would be like without Medicare? And think of how the Republican are obstructionists to all social progress including health care.