Re: from another cml site

[Guest guest]

WOW! It's just too bad that 100% of Americans don't watch Bill Moyers. This

was a fantastic interview. I can tell you, as a retired CPA whose clients

included some of these health insurance companies, Wendell Potter's comments

are right on target! That is exactly how they operate.

Troxel

On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 11:48 AM, hey00nanc <ncogan@...> wrote:

>

>

> I just read this on another cml site and think that it is important

> information to share....we all need to be concerned about health care

> reform. And Lottie......not sure if this conforms to what you just wrote

> about copying articles, etc......but some things you just do.

> C.

>

> Watch

> Bill Moyer's interview with Wendell Potter <

> http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch2.html>

>

> Last month, testimony in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on

> Commerce, Science and Transportation by a former health insurance

> insider named Wendell Potter made news even before it occured. After

> Potter's testimony the industry scrambled to do damage control, " Insurers

> defend rescissions, take heat for lack of

> transparency <http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/07/06/bisb0706.htm>. "

> .

> In his first extended television interview since leaving the health

> insurance industry, Wendell Potter tells Bill Moyers why he left his

> successful career as the head of Public Relations for CIGNA, one of the

> nation's largest insurers, and decided to speak out against the

> industry. " I didn't intend to [speak out], until it became really clear

> to me that the industry is resorting to the same tactics they've used

> over the years, and particularly back in the early '90s, when they were

> leading the effort to kill the Clinton plan. "

> Potter began his trip from health care spokesperson to reform

> advocate while back home in Tennessee. Potter attended a " health

> care expedition, " <http://www.ramusa.org/projects/ruralamerica.htm>

> a makeshift health clinic set up at a fairgrounds, and he tells Bill

> Moyers, " It was absolutely stunning. When I walked through the

> fairground gates, I saw hundreds of people lined up, in the rain. It

> was raining that day. Lined up, waiting to get care, in animal stalls.

> Animal stalls. "

> Looking back over his long career, Potter sees an

> industry corrupted by Wall Street expectations and greed. According to

> Potter, insurers have every incentive to deny coverage — every dollar

> they don't pay out to a claim is a dollar they can add to their

> profits, and Wall Street investors demand they pay out less every year.

> Under these conditions, Potter says, " You don't think about individual

> people. You think about the numbers, and whether or not you're going to

> meet Wall Street's expectations. "

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

How true and interesting were these articles, and yet I have this health

insurance company Cigna.

Today, I get a call from my General Oncologist to let me know that I cannot

have the 100 mgs. pills of Gleevec, and is forced to take the 400 mgs. because

Cigna doesn't want to spend an additional

cost of $688.00 between the 400 mgs. and 100 mgs. Their Physician on board Dr.

Osborn, M.D. thinks it is better to just give me the 120 days supple of

400mgs. instead of the little pills of 100 mgs. So, with this F.Y.I., I call

Cigna Tel-Labs, and they constantly switch me around the whole Speciality Lab,

recording my phone message, as I speak to all these different Cigna employees

indicating that if they think they will save a profit of $688.00 between 100

mgs. and 400mgs., Gleevec and they have denied my request, they will have to

deal with my Attorney's when I sue them for not complying with my health wishes,

so that they can pocket the profits of $688.00. Not only are they not saving,

because I do not do well on the 400 mgs., due to the severe side-effects of

Gleevec. And if I have to get off and find another drug, the next 2 drugs cost 2

to 4 times more then Gleevec,

ruining their profit margins on my cancer drug.

As I hung up the phone with Cigna, my General Oncologist office, nurse called

to let me know that Cigna had send them a fax, authorizing the 3 month supply

of 100mgs. I was about to call them back because they told me Cigna denied my

request of the 100 mgs. Gleevec, and they said I needed to write a letter of

Appeal to get the 100mgs. instead of the 400mgs. so I wanted Cigna's

fax number to send an Appeal letter, requesting in 30 days as to why I want the

100 mgs. instead of the 400 mgs. Talk about screwy heath-cost insurance, I am

glad someone forward this news to us!

I called them 3 weeks ago, requesting for a 3 month supply of 360 ( 3 month

supply of the

100 mgs., and they told me someone would call me when it was to be shipped. I

then asked if they would take the My CML Circle refund from Norvartis RX credit

of $45.00 for the 3 month supply, and they told me someone would call me on

that. So, far no one has called me on this, so today I was more persistent and

adamant on everything.

So I wait and I have only 15 day supple left. I told them it must be shipped

this Friday, because

I will be out of town the following week, and they tell me someone will call me.

I will wait on

Thursday, but if I don't hear from them, I am going to use this information on

Wendell Potter, to motivate them to move quicker into giving me my 3 month

supply, since Oct/Nov/Dec will be the

end of the year, of Cigna insurance, if I don't change from my husband employer.

Many thanks to whoever supplied us with this F.Y.I's it came in a J.I.T., just

in time manner!

Dory Doggie

________________________________

From: hey00nanc <ncogan@...>

Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 1:48:42 PM

Subject: [ ] from another cml site

I just read this on another cml site and think that it is important information

to share....we all need to be concerned about health care reform. And

Lottie...... not sure if this conforms to what you just wrote about copying

articles, etc......but some things you just do.

C.

Watch

Bill Moyer's interview with Wendell Potter <http://www.pbs. org/moyers/

journal/07102009 /watch2.html>

Last month, testimony in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on

Commerce, Science and Transportation by a former health insurance

insider named Wendell Potter made news even before it occured. After

Potter's testimony the industry scrambled to do damage control, " Insurers defend

rescissions, take heat for lack of

transparency <http://www.ama- assn.org/ amednews/ 2009/07/06/ bisb0706. htm>. " .

In his first extended television interview since leaving the health

insurance industry, Wendell Potter tells Bill Moyers why he left his

successful career as the head of Public Relations for CIGNA, one of the

nation's largest insurers, and decided to speak out against the

industry. " I didn't intend to [speak out], until it became really clear

to me that the industry is resorting to the same tactics they've used

over the years, and particularly back in the early '90s, when they were

leading the effort to kill the Clinton plan. "

Potter began his trip from health care spokesperson to reform

advocate while back home in Tennessee. Potter attended a " health

care expedition, " <http://www.ramusa. org/projects/ ruralamerica. htm>

a makeshift health clinic set up at a fairgrounds, and he tells Bill

Moyers, " It was absolutely stunning. When I walked through the

fairground gates, I saw hundreds of people lined up, in the rain. It

was raining that day. Lined up, waiting to get care, in animal stalls.

Animal stalls. "

Looking back over his long career, Potter sees an

industry corrupted by Wall Street expectations and greed. According to

Potter, insurers have every incentive to deny coverage — every dollar

they don't pay out to a claim is a dollar they can add to their

profits, and Wall Street investors demand they pay out less every year.

Under these conditions, Potter says, " You don't think about individual

people. You think about the numbers, and whether or not you're going to

meet Wall Street's expectations. "