So 1 in 6 Americans don’t have health insurance, but did you know Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) was once one of them?
At the Center for American Progess, Durbin recounted his personal experience as a young father without health insurnace and how Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC helped care for his infant daughter through a program they have to assist uninsured Americans.
Duration : 0:8:9
Senator Merkley talks with KGW about the need for a public health insurance option in health care reform and how it will provide consumers with more choices, help cover millions of uninsured Americans and keep the insurance companies honest.
Duration : 0:3:51
Are health insurance companies generally being fair and honest when they reject claims from policy holders?
That would seem to be an important question in deciding how best to fix the U.S. health system. But it hasnt been a focus of the raging health-care debate — possibly because the answer is not publicly available.
This is one of the dark corners of the black box that is private health insurance, said Karen Pollitz, a professor at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute.
For the full story click here:
http://huffpostfund.org/stories/2009/09/health-care-number-claims-denied-remains-mystery
Duration : 0:1:23
Health insurance companies’ limited exemption from antitrust laws since 1945 has allowed insurance companies to monopolize markets and fix prices, raising the cost of coverage for consumers. In an effort to repeal a law protecting insurers from federal antitrust laws, Senators Reid, Leahy and Schumer today offered the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act in the form of an amendment to the Senate health insurance bill. This amendment would eliminate the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies, promoting competition that will benefit consumers.
Duration : 0:3:51
Dozens Arrested at Sit-In Protests at Health Insurance Companies
Dozens of people were arrested Thursday during nationwide sit-ins in front of the offices of health insurance companies. In New York, fourteen people were arrested during a sit-in at the offices of UnitedHealth Group. In Los Angeles, twelve people were arrested outside the offices of Blue Cross. Arrests also occurred in Portland, Oregon and Palm Beach, Florida. The actions were organized by Mobilization for Health Care for All. Protester Sarah Durand spoke in New York.
Sarah Durand: Im here because I feel we need some counterweight to all the lobbyist monies coming from the insurance companies and other healthcare industries. This is a civil rights issue of our era, and as we saw before, civil disobedience was necessary in the past to achieve goals.
Duration : 0:0:54
Based on the true story of Patsy Bates, “Insurance Jive” shows why it is the insurance companies that actually operate “death panels” — and demonstrates why we must stand strong in support of a public health insurance option.
Help continue building support for the public option by spreading the word about this video to your friends and family:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/InsuranceJive
Duration : 0:0:40
I need to find a new health insurance because I do not like the one my company uses. They don’t meet all my needs properly.
By that I mean they use 3rd party companies to determine whether or not the health insurance company will allow me to use my deductible based off of a questionnaire that has no relevance to my everyday life. I have not been able to pay a deductible rate since last fall. I need a company who is committed to helping me and working with me.
Check out http://www.ez-insurancefinder.com they’ll have some good info and offers quotes from some of the top providers in your area. I was the same and didn’t want to use my company’s and ended up finding something even cheaper that fit my needs perfectly.
What percentage do you think is acceptable for health insurance companies to earn in profits?
OK, I think you might be confusing two things here.
1. How much of your premium dollar, goes to profit/overhead, vs. paying claims
2. How much TOTAL PROFIT the health insurance company is making.
There’s a HUGE difference, because health insurance companies, in general, do NOT make their profits off of the premiums they charge. I WISH people would be informed of that.
So, as long as the insurance company is paying out $.99 in claims for every $1 in premium, they are NOT NOT NOT overcharging for their policies!
Their "profits" are made from investing the billions of dollars in reserves, they’re required to keep on hand, to pay future claims. So what does it matter how much interest they earn off of that money???? The more interest they earn, the more they can afford to subsidize your premium dollars, the lower your health insurance rates can go! But not too low, because, after all, they still are paying out $.99 for every $1 in CLAIMS!
Bottom line – health insurance companies don’t earn enough in profits, for me to buy their stock. If you REALLY think they do, BUY THEIR STOCK. If you don’t buy their stock, then YOU don’t really believe that they’re racking in all those earnings.
Want to know who’s stock I hold? You’ll have to ask. But Coca Cola has the MOST earnings & profit – and coke costs more by the gallon, than gasoline. And no one EVER complains about it.
I am in the health care field (I am a nurse)… I am sick of insurance companies! My mom was told by her dr. that she needed a hysterectomy, and the insurance decided they weren’t going to pay because they thought she needed to try alternative procedures (D&C) Well, she got the D&C, and she STILL needs the hysterectomy! I’m sick of companies thinking they have the authority to make medical decisions for patients! Also, I called them to ask why they don’t cover the new smoking cessation drug, Chantix, and they said, "Well, because there’s no proof it prevents you from smoking." I said, "IT’S FDA APPROVED? What more proof do you need?" The lady reiterated her point that there’s no proof, and I gave up. Insurance companies are so unethical and immoral! I could go on and on, but… What do yall think?
Two fundamental problems make the present system of private insurance coverage a farce
First, all policies should be written as deductible like auto ins
Most of us can handle the smaller stuff. It is when we face a monster medical problem that we need maximum coverage
Second, the ins and HMOs etc HAVE to cut costs and can only do so by denying and limiting the level of care. When they do this, they are in fact practicing medicine, an action that is specifically forbidden by ?Federal Statues
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Could a society exist where there is no such thing as a health insurance company?
They don’t which is why we need health care reform, not a national health care plan. As a society, we are sick. Obesity, smoking, diabetes, high risk pregnancy and other preventable diseases are eating our health care dollars up and yet, doing nothing to cure the problem. This continued bleeding of health care dollars is leaving nothing for those catastrophic diseases that can’t be prevented and leaving American citizens to die because they can’t afford health care. You can pour all the money you want into taking care of the catastrophic illnesses however, if you don’t find a cure for society and those preventable diseases, you will never have enough health care dollars available.