Insurance Company Incompetence

Jun 18, 2009 | link | 8 comments

If you think that the “market” is going to do better than the federal government at administering a health plan, this is a good place to start:

How Bluechoice Carefirst scammed me, and how I beat them | Chasing Mist

Via: A Whole Lotta Nothing.

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  • steve-o

    They could have ended that sooner by sending it with delivery confirmation. I agree that insurance carriers have generally shady moments and that they need to be kept in line. But, as the story shows, they were in fact kept in line and were forced to pay damages.

    I would like to see us move away from having insurance carriers for 90% of the everyday medical needs we have and move towards a major issues only insurance. Everything else would be paid out of pocket.

    • http://blurbomat.com/wordpress blurb

      It’s called “high deductible” insurance.

      The point in this link is that a corporation screwed somebody over and who stepped in to help? THE GOVERNMENT.

      I hear what you are saying about people taking responsibility for their healthcare costs. For the past four years, we’ve had high deductible insurance that is only available through our state. We’d be screwed without it.

      • steve-o

        Be careful about who you define the government as. In the example above, it was the state government who stepped in.

        Why can’t other states follow Utah’s lead and provide the coverage that you and dooce have? From what I’ve read in the constitution, there is nothing that states that it’s the Federal Governments job to provide health care – including the infamous “General Welfare” clause. Since it’s outside of the scope of the fed, IMO, it should be left up to the states to decide.

        BTW, I know it’s off topic, but you guys made another beautiful girl. My advice, buy the biggest shotgun possible for the first day Leta or Marlo bring home their first boyfriend.

  • http://www.meowsk.com meowsk

    Oh how I despise insurance companies. Especially in the regard that mental health is treated completely different than any other medical condition and it costs a small fortune just to keep myself sane.

  • ThatOneGuy

    Here’s a good one – the latest comment on the blog post is from a “Denise Green” – one of the company incompetents mentioned in the post. Her comment: “Go to hell”.

    Obviously, that could be anyone, but I find that hilarious. And pathetic, all at the same time.

  • Joanne

    Jon,
    There are so many layers to this and your last post that I hardly know where to begin. Except to say that I’ve been a provider for the last 12 years and while my training took place in urban boston, I’ve worked in primarily rural hospitals. These are hospitals with ER, Acute, and Long Term Care units all within a two story building. They are staffed with folks who live in these small towns and who know 80% of the patients that utilize services. So there is an element of “family” in these types of settings.

    Suffice it to say, I have seen everything from MDs paying out of their own pockets for procedures that should have been covered by insurance companies, to small business owners “fudging” their tax returns so that a very sick child can be covered under medicaid. There are developmental disabled patients with diabetes who are unable to quite make the connection between eating a donut and a potential amputation and quads who develop decubitus ulcers b/c the 10K wheelchair that shifts their body appropriately will not be paid for by insurance.

    And how do we deal with all these issues? We try to get them on medicare or medicaid! It’s the government or a continual “reframe” of medical conditions so that private insurance will cover patients. And it’s a continual dance with the insurance companies. Is fraud ever involved? Perhaps. But guess what? The current healthcare system perpetuates fraudulent behavior. Whether it be from the insurance company in the article posted here or the consumer and provider who do what we need to do to get our patients coverage.

    Steve-O,
    I’m especially interested in challenging you on the idea that everything should be paid for by the consumer except “major issues”. Who would define what a “major issue” is? Insurance companies? (they already do) or the government? (essentially K street) eg. A mammogram may not be considered a major issue by some but I promise, that procedure would save a hell of a lot of taxpayer money and heartache in the end if taxpayers (or insurance companies) absorbed that cost. There isn’t a single ER in this country that operates on a surplus of funds as it is. If we moved more the right on this single issue alone, the tax payers would be carrying even a heavier burden with little improvement in public health. I’m good with increased taxes but not with a “crisis management only” mentality.

    But I guess the point I also want to drive home is that Healthcare is a Homeland Security issue. Health impacts every.single.aspect of our daily functioning. Where there is sickness, disease, less access to nutrition, there is also proportional amounts of poverty, crime, violence, and drug use.

    This is why our government must step in. There are too many moral, ethical, economic, and safety issues involved for there not to be reform.

    Oh, and let’s not forget the silent evil here: pharmaceutical companies.

    • http://blurbomat.com/wordpress blurb

      Thanks for taking the time to share your perspective.

      It’s time for a change.

    • steve-o

      Joanne,

      You brought up some really good points and also a perspective that is first hand.

      In answer to your question about who would define major issues, I would put that to the consumer. Since the consumer would be buying the said product, they would also have the choice of what services they would or would not have included in their plan. Is this a perfect idea, no, I can agree with that. But I do believe in the free market and it’s ability to work.

      I think either way though, we are looking at a cost that is going to be more substantial than anyone else can conceive right now. That’s something that I’m worried about. If taxes are raised, particularly on businesses that already provide health care coverage, I could risk losing that or my job as they try to limit expenses.

      It’s not that I’m selfish, it’s that my first concern is always my own family first, myself second, and then everyone else.