A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Demonizing Private Insurance Companies
Posted on October 6, 2009
Over the past few months, we have heard and read about Democrat leaders doing their typical “hey, let’s insult, demean, damage, and demonize yet another private entity” in regards to the health insurance industry. They tell us the private health insurance companies should be more like the selfless government run Medicare. Yeah, about that (via Big Government through Newsbusters)
Beverly Gossage, Research Fellow for Show-Me Institute and founder of HSA Benefits Consulting wondered which insurance companies rejected the most claims. She found her answer in the AMA’s own 2008 National Health Insurer Report Card. The chart below appears on page 5 of the 16-page report.
(You can see a larger size chart at Big Government or here)
So, the largest denier of claims is……hey, that awesome government run Medicare (my company has UHC, United Health Care, and I have never heard about anyone being denied, and, it obviously rarely happens.)
Imagine what will happen when even more people are on Medicare and the government is cutting their funding. Say, let’s ask a doctor who wasn’t among the hand picked Obama campaign contributers invited to the White House
Today, Medicare already reimburses doctors less than what many of their treatments cost to provide. Now the government is saying that additional Medicare cuts are coming—thus forcing doctors to try and make up the difference in volume, by seeing more patients. If you ask patients about this, they understand that more volume means less time with the doctor. That’s something that all patients and doctors should oppose. In time, it will be difficult to find a physician.
Of course, there is another part to that: more and more doctors opting out of providing Medicare services, as they have been doing already. Will government mandate by federal law that they all take Medicare, as well as the government option?
More: speaking of Obama’s cute little doctor and pony show yesterday
“When you cut through all the noise and all the distractions that are out there, I think what’s most telling is that some of the people who are most supportive of reform are the very medical professionals who know the health-care system best,” the president said.
In other words, shut your mouths, American people! Barry knows best! No mention of the massive amount of doctors who marched on Washington on October 1st in opposition to Barry’s House Democrats plan to destroy the American health care system. Yeah, Barry didn’t meet with them. Shocker.
Underlying the strictly photo-op nature of the event, The Associated Press noted that Obama broke no new ground in his remarks.
Still voting present and attempting to rely on campaign rhetoric, rather than any sort of executive leadership.
Crossed at Pirate’s Cove
» Filed Under Agenda based science, Anti-Americanism, Anti-Capitalism, Barack Obama, Communism, Congress, Democrats, Fraud/misrepresentation, Government corruption, Government malfeasance/misfeasance, Government tyranny, Healthcare, House, Hypocrisy/Situational Ethics, Journalistic Prostitution, Liberal Media/Bias, Medical Malpractice/ethics, Nanny State, News, Science/pseudo-science, Social Engineering, Socialism, States Rights, Taxes, Totalitarianism, U.S. Constitution, Unconstitutional, liberalism, transparency/accountability
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9 Responses to “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Demonizing Private Insurance Companies”
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Force doctors to take Medicare? This is a rhetorical question right?
We already have nearly 50% of doctors saying if this goes through they’re leaving medicine. What’s Obama going to do about that? Conscription? I wouldn’t put it past him and his totalitarian group thinking thugs.
The majority of people are saying NO to this and the clowns in D.C. refuse to listen. This will not end well if they jam it down our throats.
Oh, I looked up a quote for UHC. Not available in my state.
Why don’t you fix THAT you jug eared coke snorting Hugo Chavez wannabe?
(No, I’m not going to respect the office as long as he’s in there violating both the letter and spirit of the Constitution)
I do not dispute the stats. The next question should be, “What diagnosis, treatment,etc was denied and the reason.”
I think its simple minded to point the finger at UHC if you hire incompetent people at any company who are rejecting claims, who know very little about the circumstances of the patient, one missing stat should be the number of policy holders in total at each of those companies so you can get a more accurate % of rejection relative to subscribers. I for one have a bleeding disorder and not one of those insurers will take me any premium not that I should have to pay some insane amount monthly to receive healthcare, but guess what the state took me on because private insurers won’t touch me with a ten foot pole, I am not obese, I dont smoke or drink, other than an occasional beer, I pretty damn fit all things considered yet I cannot get private insurance, thats a flat out crime, the military already has socialized healthcare why can’t taxpayers, gov’t employees have medical taken care of, so individuals who are self employed or independent contractors can’t have free or cheap premiums to have piece of mind when you are wheeled through those hospital doors.
Oh thats right I forgot that nurses want to earn 80-100K a year and specialists want to earn 100K-300K a month, how selfish of me.
This article says “So, the largest denier of claims is……hey, that awesome government run Medicare (my company has UHC, United Health Care, and I have never heard about anyone being denied, and, it obviously rarely happens.)”
What planet is this person from? My wife manages a doctor’s office. She’s required to get precertification for surgery and lab work from the insurance companies. Their first answer is “always” no. And of course, this answer is coming from the insurance company, not the patient’s doctor. My wife has to fight for people every day to get needed tests run or get the required surgery. The insurance companies have people denying claims, tests, and surgery, and these people have never even seen the patient.
The point is this: Insurance companies are running the healthcare business in this country. They are the ones that make the decisions for the patients, not the doctors! Of course the patient can get any tests or surgery they need, the insurance companies just won’t pay for it, unless they agree to it! Oh, and another trick they pull is this: They will agree to tests or surgery if the doctors will agree to do these things at a drastically reduces fee. This is why the AMA supports reform. Republicans don’t want reform because they are accepting big contributions from the insurance companies, and this money is worth more to them than your health. They have great insurance that will pay for them, so they don’t really care about your health. If you have had surgery or tests run, and it was paid for by the insurance company, you should probably thank the office manager at the doctor’s office, because more than likely they went to bat for you (and you never even knew). This is the facts about reform that most people don’t even know. Think about this before you judge so quickly, as it could be your health or your children’s health that is resting with the insurance company.
Gee, my wife and I have UHC, and they deny my wifes prescriptions all the time. We get these letters from them that start out “We are pleased to inform you…” and then explain why the blood pressure or anti depressant medicine prescribed by her doctor has been refused. Maybe you have a different UHC. Or maybe you’ve never had a real or serious chronic health issue.
Poor doctors.. The highest income in the world.. And now ‘forced’ to work for Medicare.. The only business that will not tell you what the prices are. is your doctor’s office. And it is not because they are so low..
Highest % of denials in Medicare? Do you know who is in Medicare? People over 65. Half of the has nothing to do but imagine what aches them..Ask the doctors..
Another half wants surgeries that would kill them given their age/health.
UHC denies claims routinely – wake up; do not lie. That’s how Insurance companies operate, like it or not.
This article is a lie & sucks.
It’s actually worse than lies.
This article is nothing but a paid advertisement by the medical insurance industry, on a site that is also otherwise totally ridden with spam – hell, this blog even forwards to a bogus chinese domain name some times, due to all the spam in it.
@ Jason @ Satya,
Lies, huh? Did you know those stats are directly from the AMA, which SUPPORTS government run healthcare AND the public option? Well, it’s true. Go to the AMA’s records and you’ll pull up the same information.
So, no one is lying, but SOMEONE (hint, you two) are too lazy to look up and verify the research. When facts and truth hit you right in the face, you need to be open minded enough to follow truth even if it means admitting you are wrong. If you haven’t learned that, nor have acquired the maturity to do that, I pity you.