Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Rationing the Spin

The insurance industry wants to be sure everyone has insurance coverage:
“We are taking responsibility for ensuring that no one falls through the cracks,” said Karen Ignagni, the chief executive of the trade group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, which is based in Washington.
But here's what they're doing - rationing again:
While the group is proposing that the states cover the most costly individuals, private insurers would offer policies to everyone else. “We are providing essentially a coverage safety net,” she said.
Boloney.

Show me the money.

Show me what "coverage" you propose. What's the deductible? What's the limit on insurability? What, cat got your tongue?
It is far from certain whether any of the specific proposals will be enacted or states will finance the cost of broader coverage. But the industry’s position indicates a willingness to move toward a system in which everyone can find coverage.
Why does the New York Times report these PR pieces without reporting the real data? It gives people the wrong impression.

Insurance companies are financial companies bent on profit, not healthcare providers. Period. This "initiative" is a smokescreen for enrolling more paying customers while tacitly assuring the insurance industry's profits by covertly rationing care in the name of their purported "beneficence."

-Wes

2 comments:

Lisa Emrich said...

[...And if you don't believe me, go read what Dr. Wes has to say. Bravo!...]

http://brassandivory.blogspot.com/2007/12/health-plan-lobbyists-suggest-states.html

Anonymous said...

Amen. I am self employed and have been rejected by two insurance companies simply because I spent 2 weeks in the hospital, five years ago, for depression. With my second application I even stated that I would waive mental health coverage.

Now I have a one week hospital bill (pneumonia) which I don't know how I'll pay. It disgusts me that my country, otherwise the best place to live in the world, does not have a national health program. I know there are downsides, but for me the upside outweighs the downside.