So, if your loved one was hit by a drunk driver and seriously injured,
Or if your loved one is undergoing a cancer operation to save his/her life,
And the surgery lasts longer than the CEOs at the insurance company are willing to cover:
So, a planned three-hour surgery runs for five hours (because of complications)— Blue Cross will only pay for three hours, leaving you with a $10,000+ medical bill.
Because the CEOs at ABC/BS need that extra chateau in the south of France.
Profits above the lives of Americans.
That's our health care system.
And it stinks.
From the link above:
"This is just the latest in a long line of appalling behavior by commercial health insurers looking to drive their profits up at the expense of patients and physicians providing essential care," he said, as reported by the ASA.
"It's a cynical money grab by Anthem, designed to take advantage of the commitment anesthesiologists make thousands of times each day to provide their patients with expert, complete and safe anesthesia care.
This egregious policy breaks the trust between Anthem and its policyholders who expect their health insurer to pay physicians for the entirety of the care they need."
ASA urges people concerned about Anthem's proposal to contact their state insurance commissioner or their state legislator.
10 comments:
This is why Ducky used to advocate for more non-profit health care. It's why Sen Bernie, like Pres Nixon and even Gov Romney before he became an extreme conservative, called for strong centralized government healthcare plans.
Now I know there are some who will say "whatever government touches, they wreck". Systems get bloated and the government overspends and gets bad quality results.
Here's a number that should stun people.
In 1981 when Reagan took office, there were 2.2 million civilian workers in the federal government servicing the ppl of America. Today, there are about 2.4 million workers doing that work.
In 43 years, we added just about 200,000 more workers to do the business of America. And in that time, our population has grown over 45%!
I think any exec in America would say an organization that can handle a growth in business of over 45%, while having less than a 10% increase in employees, is doing pretty good.
Government is incredibly efficient when it comes to running big programs and their administration.
But alas, we're not allowed to look for real efficiencies and use real evidence and facts. We're only allowed to... well you all get the point.
I was told that 50% of families whose child has cancer experience bankruptcy. A “ great, rich “ country would never allow that.
Doctors aren’t the primary reason healthcare is so expensive; it's the parasitic health insurance companies.
NYTimes:
"Torrent of Hate for Health Insurance Industry Follows C.E.O.’s Killing
The shooting death of a UnitedHealthcare executive in Manhattan has unleashed Americans’ frustrations with an industry that often denies coverage and reimbursement for medical claims.
“Thoughts and deductibles to the family,” read one comment underneath a video of the shooting posted online by CNN. “Unfortunately my condolences are out-of-network.”
On TikTok, one user wrote, “I’m an ER nurse and the things I’ve seen dying patients get denied for by insurance makes me physically sick. I just can’t feel sympathy for him because of all of those patients and their families.”
When the health and well being of beings are less important than the profit of corporations and the extravagant wealth of corporate CEO's the nation loses its humanity.
When we do not consider ourselves to be our sisters and brothers keepers we have lost our humanity.
America is in extreme danger of becoming inhumane under the next administration of You Know Who.
I've been saying Medicare for all for 20 years or more.
Ms. Shaw, I agree with your statement 100%, Doctors aren’t the primary reason healthcare is so expensive; it's the parasitic health insurance companies. By having healthcare insurance pay for treatment it puts no incentive on the healthcare provider to be efficient or cost competitive. Cut yourself sawing a tree, go the the ER and get treated because insurance pays the 2,000-3000 change not you.
Ask about how much something medical costs and get crickets in reply. Lets take the endowment given to a hospital and build a fountain or a stunning lobby instead of a new PET because health insurance can be billed for a PET but not a fountain.
Insurance companies are not in business to manage your care but manage your money. Hospital are extremely wasteful because they get paid to be by insurance companies. People abuse healthcare because they are not incentivized to be responsible.
Make the charges the responsibility of the patient for minor instances and insurance for major and see how costs decline.
Mike... as have many. Here's why I can't understand. Consumers would get lower prices. At worst, our care would be the same as it is now.
Is it simply because some do not want others to get coverage? I don't believe that. Is it because we [those insured who can pay for it] don't want to offer free coverage to the "deadbeats" among us? Maybe. Is it because some are worried that a large influx of new insured ppl will overwhelm an already overburdened US healthcare system? Maybe.
But it does seem as if any problems could be worked out.
Unless some play the Don't tread on me" "I want to be free" card.
Spoken like the true capitalist that would feed the beast forever.
Medicare for all managed by the federal government (not the incoming administration of course because Project 2025 and heroine addict RFK Jr. will gut health care and and allow costs rise to feed insurance companies and their CEO's while people die) is the most efficient and sensible way to improve health care AND control costs.
But, the greed based capitalist health care for profit system is what will remain until You Know Who and the trumpublican party is out of power.
Can't happen soon enough!
Enlightened view is simply this, eliminate the need for profit and bingo, universal care becomes immensely more affordable.
Life, not profit should be the intention and motivation. Greed is driving pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies. Put the federal government in charge negotiating coverage ans prices and watch prices fall and coverage be about what it is.
Reasonable profit above cost should not be a problem for pone. But that is not what we have. What exists n this capitalist society is obscene profits driven by corporate and CEO greed.
Capitalism spurs greed.
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