Re: Insurance industry needs to be changed

[Guest guest]

Might I also remind everyone that Melinda Ballard who started

www.policyholdersofamerica.org is a member of this board. I think it is an

understatement to say that the insurance industry as a whole is as crooked

and/or broken as it can possibly be. If you have never read or seen her story I

highly recommend looking it up. There are so many stories just like hers that

she has devoted her life to helping (us especially) people deal with insurance

issues. It is most certainly not a secret this has to change. I simply pray it

is done in a way that is not damaging for anyone whether it be our country or us

as individual people as well as tax payers.

Please visit and support Melinda's site as much as anyone can. This is true of

Sharon Krammer as well and of course so many others but I have been very

greatfull to these two ladies for thier vigilance and availability to help so

many people.

 

[Guest guest]

,

You have been a major addition to this group and your responses to me

are a perfect example. You gave me information I didn't have about the

McCarran Ferguson Act regarding anti-trust and the insurance

companies. Followed by the information given below. Thank you!

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

Carl, I created a new topic in regard to your post. Your comments about

the insurance industry's bad/fraudulent behavior is right on. There are

many websites dedicated to this problem including

www.badfaithinsurance.org. And, there's an excellent report by the

American Association for Justice. The report is titled " Tricks of the

Trade---How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Refuse. "

You can read the report at:

http://www.justice. org/resources/InsuranceTactics.pdf

The only way this will change is if everybody speaks up. Everybody needs

to send their comments and concerns to their U.S. Senators and

Representatives and their State Insurance Departments. I am happy to

hear that the health care debate is giving Americans an opportunity to

voice their outrage about the insurance industry's bad behavior.

________________________________

From: Carl E. Grimes <grimes@...>

groups (DOT) com

Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 3:01:34 PM

Subject: [] Health Care clarifications from Moveon.org

Group,

Here's something I received from Moveon.org.Yes, they're liberal

and you may not like them. But...

They cite their sources, and those of the opposition, so you can

see for yourself who is telling the truth and who spreading lies

and creating fear.

My opinion: Regardless of what ends up in the new bills, I

cannot understand why the insurance industry has not been

charged as a monopoly in violation of anti-trust laws. Microsoft

was for much less justification than here. Also, who else can

enforce a contract for you to pay money, but when it's time for

insurance to deliver their part of the bargain they grab the

policy back, after the fact, and say you aren't covered. Isn't

that theft, taking money under false pretenses? Anybody else

would be put in jail for fraud. Like Barney Madoff. But current

laws allow this behavior.

Again, I don't know how " reform " will end up but I do believe

that what we have right now is theft, anti-trust, fraud and

putting the insurance company between me and my doctor.

My insurance just altered my prescription and my physician

can do nothing. They upped my co-pay while reducing the

number of pills in the Rx.

Finally, you don't want government involved with health care?

Neither do I. But who do you think passed and allowed the

laws responsible for the current mess with private insurance?

Government. So the question for me is, do I trust the

govenment to correct the mess they created? (Medicare and

VA are single payer, govt run). If not them, who? Which is why

accurate information is critical, and then let your congressmen

know your choice.

Top Five Health Care Reform

Lies-and How to Fight Back

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!

The truth: These accusations- of " death panels " and forced

euthanasia-are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the

Associated Press puts it: " No 'death panel' in health care bill. " 4

What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision,

supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a

professional medical counselor who will provide them with

information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older

Americans.5

___

Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and

force you into a government plan!!!

The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease.

Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a

one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality

insurance options.6 Included in the exchange is the public health

insurance option-a nationwide plan with a broad network of

providers-that will operate alongside private insurance

companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality

up and costs down.7

If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can

keep them.8 But the new public plan will expand choices to

millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it,

including many who simply can't afford health care now.

___

Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style

rationing!!!

The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-

quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and

businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big

corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors

you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is

covered-that is rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop

that.

Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious

aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing

conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick,

gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on

coverage.9And outside of that, as noted above, reform will

increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed

situation.

___

Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens'

Medicare benefits!!!

The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare

benefits.10 Reform includes savings from Medicare that are

unrelated to patient care-in fact, the savings comes from

cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance

companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.11

___

Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!

The truth: We need health care reform now in order to

prevent bankruptcy-to control spiraling costs that affect

individuals, families, small businesses, and the American

economy..

Right now, we spend more than $2 trillion dollars a year on health

care.12 The average family premium is projected to rise to over

$22,000 in the next decade13-and each year, nearly a million

people face bankruptcy because of medical expenses.14 Reform,

with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur

competition, is necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs.

Also, President Obama's reform plans would be fully paid for over

10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.15

We're closer to real health care reform than we've ever

been-and the next few weeks will decide whether it happens..

We need to make sure the truth about health care reform is

spread far and wide to combat right wing lies.

P.S. Want more? Check out this great new White House " Reality

Check " website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitych eck/ or this

excellent piece from Health Care for America Now on some of

the most outrageous lies:

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51729 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=1

Sources:

1. " More 'Town Halls Gone Wild': Angry Far Right Protesters

Disrupt Events With 'Incomprehensible' Yelling, " Think Progress,

August 4, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51733 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=2

2. " Fight the smears, " Health Care for America NOW, accessed

August 10, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51729 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=3

3. " Palin Paints Picture of 'Obama Death Panel' Giving Thumbs

Down to Trig, " ABC News, August 7, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51728 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=4

4. " No 'death panel' in health care bill, " The Associated Press,

August 10, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51747 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=5

5. " Stop Distorting the Truth about End of Life Care, " The

Huffington Post, July 24, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51730 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=6

6. " Reality Check FAQs, " WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August 11,

2009.

http://www.whitehou se.gov/realitycheck/faq#i1

7. " Why We Need a Public Health-Care Plan, " The Wall Street

Journal, June 24, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51737 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=7

8. " Obama: 'If You Like Your Doctor, You Can Keep Your

Doctor,' " The Wall Street Journal, 15, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51736 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=8

9. " Reality Check FAQs, " WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August 10,

2009.

http://www.whitehou se.gov/realitycheck/faq#r1

10. " Obama: No reduced Medicare benefits in health care

reform, " CNN, July 28, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51748 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=9

11. " Reality Check FAQs, " WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August

10, 2009.

http://www.whitehou se.gov/realitycheck/faq#s1

12. " Reality Check FAQs, " WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August

10, 2009.

http://www.whitehou se.gov/realitycheck/faq#c1

13. " Premiums Run Amok, " Center for American Progress, July

24, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51667 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=10

14. " Medical bills prompt more than 60 percent of U.S.

bankruptcies, " CNN, June 5, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51735 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=11

15. " Reality Check FAQs, " WhiteHouse.gov, accessed August

10, 2009.

http://www.whitehou se.gov/realitych eck/faq#c1

Sources for the Five Lies:

#1: " A euthanasia mandate, " The Washington Times, July 29,

2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51732 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=12

#2: " It's Not An Option, " Investor's Business Daily, July 15, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51743 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=13

#3: " Rationing Health Care, " The Washington Times, April 21,

2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51742 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=14

#4: " 60 Plus Ad Is Chock Full Of Misinformation, " Media Matters

for America, August 8, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51734 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=15

#5: " Obama's 'Public' Health Plan Will Bankrupt the Nation, " The

National Review, May 13, 2009.

http://www.moveon. org/r?r=51744 & id=16782- 17174993-

HUVIahx & t=16