Insurance Providers were up on Capital Hill today trying to explain why they used “Recision Techniques” every chance they got. For those that don’t know……but may have to find out the hard way; “Recision” means that your insurer signs you up for your Health Insurance and the minute you get any serious disease….goes over your initial application with a fine tooth comb until they find a reason to say you lied or left out something on your Insurance Application and that “the Cancer Surgery” you were scheduled for…would not be paid by your Insurer….because you no longer had Insurance….at all.
To the credit of the Senators……on the Committee….they did a good job of putting the Insurance Companies feet to the fire. You really need to go to C-Span and watch the four hour meeting. It was the most disgusting example of greed ever televised. They all stood shoulder to shoulder and said that unless “The Congress Mandated” that every person in this country is made to have Health Insurance……they were not going to play! You see, it is the Insurance Companies that want “everyone” to have Health Insurance and if people can’t afford it….they want the Government to pay for it. These guys are really living in the 90’s. They want unfettered ability to deny payments, benefits and treatment to anyone for not dotting the “i’s” or crossing the “t’s” on their Insurance Application. They even pay big bonuses to those Administrators that deny benefits and payments for treatment.
The state of the Insurance Industry in this country…..needs much stronger Regulations. All these guys repeated again and again…..that: “Unless everyone is required to have Health Insurance…….Pre-Existing Conditions have to be part of the system….and a good reason for NOT Insuring someone.” They sighted “Affordability”. They also mentioned the great nightmare: “The Uninsurable!”. They kept saying that in order to control cost…..they could not investigate Insurance Applications in a timely manner and that it was no problem to take someone’s Insurance Premium for say a year or two and then Cancel their Insurance when they needed treatment for a major illness – due to an incomplete or left out item on the Insurance Application!
This is a very “sick system”….that needs to go to rapid rehab! Insurance Companies should be able to assess within 60 days….whether a typical Insurance Application is valid. Should the Insurance Company determine that the Applicant is “Uninsurable”……the person should receive a rebate of 50% of whatever has been paid…..and most assuredly it should be prorated! If President Obama can just stop the needless rip-offs of “Recision” and if he can stop these companies from refusing coverage for those lovely Pre-Existing Conditions….he will have gone a long way. Next step….stop the Prescription Drug rip-offs!
So, before we talk about a Single Payer, National Healthcare System….we better get a grip on the greedy, corruption and bad faith of the present system that Insurers…..seem to believe is just typical Wall Street. It is little wonder that Doctors are not overwhelmed with the ethics of the Insurance Companies! There is certainly enough greed to go around, but more importantly…..we need a system that at least offers people a chance to get well….without having to fight the Insurance Companies first.
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