Tip of the health care iceberg
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Wendell Potter, a former CIGNA executive, recently testified before the Senate. CIGNA is just the tip of the health insurance iceberg with their exorbitant grab of health dollars. Their CEO makes in excess of $200 million a year and his executives collect added ridiculous millions as they travel on corporate jests and eat from gold plated dinnerware. Why can’t people just follow the money and realize what is going on when reports from Fairfield Life and others expose Cigna Healthcare Profits as $4.8 Billion while claims payments are just $787 Million? Health care executives are paid more than our doctors while they campaign with our money, lies, and ridicules assertions to convince us we don’t need real health care reform or competition. Meanwhile the industry’s excessive profits and salaries are multiplied by each seemingly non-competitive company, because every dollar not paid to a claim is a dollar added to their profits or salaries. They insure people with the least risks, exclude people with pre-existing conditions, charge women more than men, rip-off the seriously ill with exorbitant rates, cancel insurance of those that develop severe illness, constantly increase premiums, and increase co-payments for the rest of us whenever possible. Moreover, 47 million American’s have no health insurance and burden tax payers at our hospital emergency rooms. Alexander Hamilton created a real National Bank that competed with private banks keeping them honest, thus protecting our nation’s finances. When Hamilton was killed our National Bank was eliminated and private banks became the stewards of our money economy. We all now know how private banking interests care for our economy and their depositor’s money. Remember, "Those Who Forget History Are Doomed to Repeat It." And the private health care industries with their lobby and partisan attack organizations have a lot in common with the banking industry. Plus, if you are afraid of creating another government agency then Medicare could be opened to those under retirement age, because only a public health care option or a single payer plan would offer real competition to private health insurance. Worth Crouch, Auburn
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Worth I won't argue that the private insurance companies need oversight to prevent abuses. But please tell me, what Government program runs within it's budget and is subject to oversight to ensure that the taxpayer's money isn't being squandered? I would really appreciate an answer, I have tried ro find one to no avail, maybe you have.
Thanks.
Worth you need to take off your rose colored glasses and smell the daisies. Everything touched or run run by the government is a failure except for the military. Social security, medicare, medicaid and the post office are bankrupt. Virtually every state run by liberals is bankrupt including California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Michigan. The government cannot even run a simple program to dispense swine flu virus and you think they run the nation's healthcare system. At least you have Santa to look forward to on December 25.
SEIU executives are paid more than our doctors while they campaign with our money, lies, and ridicules assertions to convince us we need government health care.
Hey Worth..how come congress is not going to apply the government option to themselves?
Everyone knows that IF this system is put in place, employers will stop covering their employees and dump them into the government option.
Medicare will be cut by over $400 billion.
Worth:
If health insurance companies are making so much money, you apparently have not been reading the papers or paying attention to reality. Recently there was a well written article is several forms of media and a study revealed that the health insurance companies did not even place in the top 25 companies who made profits last year. On average the the health insurance companies only made about 2.8% profit, while other industries like candy makers, fast food chains made well over 6% profit and were in the top 10 profit makers nation wide.
This demonizing the health insurance companies is just a way to scare people into a Gov. run health care system. However, I do agree that health costs have risen quite dramatically and somehow we need to bring stability to that market and lower costs. But, our Gov. running this program is something I do not even like to think about. Outside of our Gov. running the military, 99% or what the gov. runs is a failure.
c2y, "This demonizing the health insurance companies is just a way to scare people into a Gov. run health care system.'
Really? You think that health insurance companies have been playing fair? It is the greatest fraud ever launched against the American people. Efforts to stop the insurance debacle have been going on for decades. People are p***** off. And you think this happened for no reason.
http://stories.barackobama.com/healthcare/stories/4543 It seems many in the area feel the same way as Worth.
bubbagrump: "Everything touched or run run by the government is a failure except for the military"
--- how convenient, for the GOP.
bubblegrump,
Are you sure you've been smelling daisies and not poppies? Your unsupported claims are a GOP propaganda wet-dream that has nothing to do with American reality.
Many of us (me included) have the best managed American health care system available. My health care provider asks me for no co-payments and sends me no medical bills, not for doctor and dentist visits, special treatments or prescription drugs.
My health care provider doesn't ask about preexisting conditions because your needs aren't based on how much profit can be madeit can make from you. It has over nine million satisfied members.
My health care provider is entirely government-funded, government-staffed and government-run.
If you still believe the US government cannot run a better health care system better than a profits-based private insurance industry, you should be concerned that Big Pharma and the special interest health insurance industry lobbyists spend your health care dollars at the rate of 1.4 million a day, lobbying our Congress to act against our own best interests, and to keep increasing their obscene profit margins.
ChuxxR: " You think that health insurance companies have been playing fair? It is the greatest fraud ever launched against the American people. Efforts to stop the insurance debacle have been going on for decades. People are p***** off. And you think this happened for no reason. "
Take some time and actually read and comprehend my post Chuckie...I clearly stated that I agree that we need to bring stability to the health care market... and some things need to changed for the better. In a county where there are roughly 350 million of us and less than 40 million have health care coverage and some of them chose to not have it. Does not constitute a national crissis of epic proportions like some politicians are making it out to be. I am quite happy with my SELF paid health insurance and my level of coverage, now I do not want my governemnt messing around with it.. period.
And Chuck, why are you not mad at the fast food joints across the U.S. that made more of a profit than health insurance providers last year? Why are you not mad at the 25 other PRIVATELY owned business that made more profits than health insurance providers last year?
There's a bit on the BBC news online that compares the cost of health care. Look it up for the details. The short answer is that we pay twice as much per person for health care than France with a worse rate of success. I still don't get why people can't grock that they are being ripped off.
Best wishes
History: Our Government brought us to this point with their HMO legislation. Can that be rolled back?
chase... profit is determined after salaries are paid... duh!
chase, I avoid fast food and am unhappy that they are allowed to add addictive agents. I guess they got that from cigarette industry.
The only "messing around with it (my SELF paid health insurance and my level of coverage") is insurance companies. Now that they are going to be FORCED to compete fairly your rates will go down.
As for "the 25 other PRIVATELY owned business that made more profits than health insurance providers last year?" Do you mean industries?
If they operated without price fixing, gouging, collusion or other criminal activities perpetrated on the American people. No big! The health insurance industry could lower costs by 75% and still be profitable. Your agent owes you a rebate.
ChuxxR, Between higher taxes that you and I will have to pay, the insurance companies are being given a golder opportunity to actually raise the prices. Read the legislation where Medicare is being cut, this means older people will have to buy higher priced insurance to cover what Medicare is dropping. We are all going to have to have proof of insurance, for some that will be minimal coverage, to receive more then that basic coverage, we all will have to buy insurance at higher rates. Higher cost of product added to higher taxes guarantees the costs will go up and the product will, for most of that have insurance, be of lower quality. No Tort reform = higher cost of all things medical.
fourgen, look at who is pushing for tort reform. It sure isn't JQP. Large settlements can and are reduced. The threat of large settlements keep drug manufactures and doctors from cutting corners and endangering the public. I know some cases are outrageous but all in all most people never get enough in the way of compensation.