Insurance Companies Consider Domestic Violence A Pre-Existing Condition

[ensho]

http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/2009/09/12/insurance-companies-consider-domestic-violence-a-pre-existing-condition/


In the very low blow department–As I’ve pointed out before, the current system of health insurance in this country is hugely discriminatory against women, but what I somehow missed until today is that health insurance can be denied to victims of domestic violence in nine states and the District of Columbia because domestic violence is considered a pre-existing condition! No this isn’t a Granny Death Panel type rumor, it comes straight from a website run by the oh-so-radical Department of Health and Human Services.

As the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) blog puts it, “Words cannot describe the sheer inhumanity of this claim.”

If you are as angry about this as I am, please immediately let your elected officials know via the SEIU site.
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please pass this info far and wide

[ensho]

1. a kick before I go

nt

[Schema Thing]

2. !

[mopinko]

3. wtf?

just wtff?

[sakabatou]

4. Fuckers!

[Better Today]

5. Unfortunately, the link to the footnote does not have a link to the study

or a list of the states where it is allowed. And when I go to the NWLC.org site to view the pdf of the report my entire computer freezes and locks up. Can anyone find a link that works?

[imdjh]

7. Here's more....

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html

I'm willing to believe it so I didn't go looking for an unbiased or official site.

[Better Today]

13. Yes, I had already found that, when you follow the footnote link,...

for that remark (footnote 8) it goes to a page where most of the other footnotes are hyperlinked but this one isn't. So I typed in the not hyperlinked site. I then find there's a pdf to view for detail info, but clicking on that link freezes up my puter.

I'm really curious which states allow this, I'm not doubting the material.

[Nikki Stone1]

6. Great.

Just peachy.

:sarcasm:

[imdjh]

8. Sure, why not?

According to the article they can do this in nine states? Why shouldn't they? If they can exclude a person for a pre-existing condition, or anything which makes him riskier than another applicant, then being a former victim of domestic violence is as valid as any other lifestyle marker. Some people choose to drink too much. Others smoke. Some people choose spouses who are violent, demonstrating poor lifestyle decision making on the part of the applicant, possible propensity to other lifestyle issues like drinking, smoking, overeating, drug use, etc...

Nothing special about this. This is why we need single payer or "government option".

[HughMoran]

9. Yes, they better hope the public option passes

...'cause they will have their own "preexisting condition" if it doesn't pass. ;)

[Triana]

10. Dupe (K & R though...'cause it's important) n/t

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6537605

[undergroundpanther]

11. corporate psychopath

corporations are psychopathic are you really suprised when a organization designed to make a few individuals very rich off the money and needs of others ,and nothing else.. has no heart?

The corporation itself, it has the heart of an abuser.They financially abuse all of us.
one fundamental point -- the corporation is a psychopath.

Psychologist Dr. Robert Hare runs down a checklist of psychopathic traits and there is a close match.

The corporation is irresponsible because in an attempt to satisfy the corporate goal, everybody else is put at risk.
Corporations try to manipulate everything, including public opinion.
Corporations are grandiose, always insisting that "we're number one, we're the best."
Corporations refuse to accept responsibility for their own actions and are unable to feel remorse.

And the key to reversing the control of this psychopathic institution is to understand the nature of the beast.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0218-01.htm

[Ikonoklast]

12. Using that logic, drinking water, eating food, and breathing air

can be construed as an increased risk factor as every living human that ever did one of those things eventually dies.

[Odin2005]

14. OMG, those evil SOBs!!!

:grr: