How is this news? Insurance companies have been doing this for as long as there have been insurance companies. Wake up, people! Insurance companies are NOT in business to take care of you, they're in business to make money.

For those against Universal Healthcare, it will start looking better and better to you as soon as your insurance companies start dropping you like dead weight because you cost them too much money.

And people still think we don't need reform. What more evidence do you need, people?

There's a special place in Hell for people like these Wellpoint execs.

"For example, an early version of the health care bill passed by the House of Representatives would have created a Federal Office of Health Insurance Oversight to monitor and regulate insurance practices like rescission. WellPoint lobbyists pressed for the proposed agency to not be included in the final bill signed into law by the president.

They also helped quash proposed provisions that would have required a third party review of its or any other insurance company's decision to cancel a customer's policy."

I wonder how many of these women vehemently fought against healthcare reform...so they could remain loyal to their precious "conservative" leader's views.

How's that workin' for ya??

Conservatives will blame this on a "faulty" bill, and those that refuse to face the fact that their conservative political party watered the bill down to allow this disgusting, GREEDY injustice...now THAT is something they should be angry about. But they won't since Sarah and Glenn will tell them to think otherwise.

This is our free market principles at work. The free market will keep my insurance premiums down. What's wrong with that?

The people in charge of these decisions to target policyholders should be taken right from the office to prison for a long long term. They have sentenced many to death for delaying necessary medical care. The legal system needs streamlined to prevent the attorneys for the companies delaying the decisions till the people that need help die. A good pressure tactic for them is to prevent them from issuing even one more policy till this is totally cleared up. It's disheartening to be forced to legislate morality and compassion, but if that's what it takes, so be it.

There's a special place in Hell for people like these Wellpoint execs.

....and in the republican party checkerbattery....

I still don't get why the tea-bagging GOP is against stopping Insurance companies from doing this. Would a Tea-bagger or a GOPer step up and explain how it is a GOOD thing to allow insurance companies to drop coverage when the former insured is in need of the coverage the most? While you are at it, can you also explain to me why you want a Corporetocracy over Democracy, where the international Corporations decide how, and by whom, the US should be governed? And if you would, please, as a follow-up to that last question, explain why Banks and Investment firms that ripped millions of people in the US off to the time of hundreds of billions of dollars, causing the Depression-like mess we are in now (which started under Bush) are more important to you than wither yourselves or other people in the US, and thus you do not want them regulated as they were for much of the 20th Century until Reagen dismantled the regulatory structure?

Thanks! I look forward to hearing a coherent answer for each of those questions. Propaganda, talking points, and Faux News lies will be cheerfully ignored. I expect a real answer as to why the Tea-baggers and GOP vote and protest against their own interests. No "Obama is Kenyan", or "The Govt is Socialist!" crap. The Govt has been "Socialist" since the very founding of the nation, with volunteers paid to form State Militias, Ben Franklin starting the Post Office, Public Libraries, Police and Fire brigades (now Fire Dept's), Soldier's benefits, the VA, TV and Radio Airwaves, Social Security in the 1930's, Medicare & Medicaid in the 1960's, and so it goes. All of those, and more, are paid for by taxes, and they are there for the Social Good. Every person in the US benefits in some way from one or in most cases, many, of those programs. Heck, re-read your Bible. Christians are SUPPOSED to be Socialists, caring for the poor, the sick, the needy, the outcasts of society. It was to those people Jesus ministered to during his ministry. Not the movers and shakers in the Roman world, not the merchants and money-changers. So why do YOU want to protect the very same type of people Jesus was against? When you come up with the sane and reasoned out answers, I'll be waiting for them.

But, we all need to remember that if the government regulates insurance companies we will have "Death Panels." The open marketplace will provide the competition needed to keep insurance companies from abusing the insured.

Funny. Are we sure these women weren't covered by a government program? This sounds more like the hell we were promised if the government provided our healthcare rather than the free marketplace we were told would take care of our needs in a fair and balanced manner.

LOL.

I haven't seen anyone deny reform IS needed, just not the reform they got. It should not have been rushed through, even though it was desperately needed.

As for these Wellpoint slime and the officers of whatever software company wrote that algorithm, reinstating public burnings would be just about right.

If there is ANY one thing that should be regulated by and subsidized by the Gov't it should be Health Care. If you want BETTER, you will be able to buy it. The affluent will ALWAYS do that, if not, we'd ALL be driving Chevy's and Fords, but just to show their wealth there are plenty of BMW's and Mercede's being driven on hi-ways by the rich. They will ALWAYS have their up-grades, so let's get on with the public option so everybody will at least be able to get the basics.

God help them if they had done something like this to my mother. I would have tried to kill everyone involved in that decision. Rot in hell, Wellpoint!

Healthcare reform was not rushed through. Congress worked on it for more than a year. For more than a year Obama pushed for a reform bill supported by both parties. No matter what you say, this poor excuse of a reform bill is the result of trying to include Republicans in the process. Republicans fought every reform measure, making the outcome predictable.

Please don't talk about this bill being pushed through in a hurry. We elected Obama for this very reason. There was a year of campaigning on this very topic. Then a year post-election. Where was the rush? Were you in a coma during the election and the past year? Did you suddenly wake up one morning and discover a healthcare reform bill was passed and signed into law?

No, this was not rushed. In fact, this reform bill took too long to pass. How many lives were lost because of games like this scam run by Wellpoint? Was it your mother? Was it your daughter? Sad.

More lies and misrepresentations from the author of this article, Murray Waas and Reuters.

Here is some absolute truth for readers! I know because I worked in the insurance industry for 30 years.

There have been laws on the book for umpteen years that insurance companies can cancel coverage for only 2 reasons: (1) non-payment of premiums and (2) in the first 6 months of the policy, if the insured lied on the application and the insurance company can prove he lied in court.

The only time an insurance company checks on whether an applicant lied is if there are huge claims on a medical condition that the applicant had to have known about when he applied for his insurance and if the doctor can corroborate in court with his patient file notes that he told the patient about his condition before the date the patient applied for insurance.

That's a reasonable law!

The insurance company lobbyist's, so changed the final bill in congress, that what did pass is a new tax to be paid by everyone who buys a policy from any private insurance company. In their push to get anything passed congress gave a present to the American people, A DEAD TURKEY!

These are the very people the GOP and some very weak DEMS are trying to protect. There should be a death penalty for white collar crime.

Isn't funny. Everyone looks at the insurance companies for their blatantly unethical behavior, and totally ignores Congress' (both parties) equally unethical behavior. Congress could have, and should have outlawed this decades ago.

But the extremist on the left and right are so busy playing the blame game, they totally missed the obvious.

If the Republicans and the Tea Party had their way, denying coverage for care to breast cancer patients, like these women, would still be legal.

Maybe the only thing worse than the free market rationing care from cancer patients would be a socialist government trying to do something about it.

Never forget which party tried to keep insurance recision legal by trying to stonewall health care reform.

Denying coverage for fake reasons is murder, but it's OK with Republicans and tea-baggers.

There is only pseudo-free market capitalism with the insurance companies. Only a few companies are allowed to work in each state and there is no competition between states.

Why? Congress and the individual state governments want it that way. It's totally within their power to change it. Has been for decades.

Applies to both parties....

The only time an insurance company checks on whether an applicant lied is if there are huge claims on a medical condition that the applicant had to have known about when he applied for his insurance and if the doctor can corroborate in court with his patient file notes that he told the patient about his condition before the date the patient applied for insurance.

No....getalifevirginia-892326, that's not reasonable. Nor is it, as a practical matter, an accurate portrayal of when and under what circumstances health insurance policies can be canceled.

It MIGHT be reasonable IF the insurance company satisfied itself (fraud was not involved) BEFORE years of premiums had been paid by the "insured" prior to their need.

You are not alone in your experience with the inside of health care insurance practices. Suffice it to say, you cannot speak for every company nor every circumstance.

The article spoke of 90 cases of recision being investigate, and NONE justified as fraud.

We don't have a problem with health care in this country. We have a problem with health care insurance! This has been going on for years. Instead of altering our medical providers, medicines and treatments, we need the insurance industry regulated. This abominable behavior should be illegal, and those responsible should be prosecuted.

These are our lives they are playing with. None choose to have a disease, especially cancer. We'd be in really bad shape if pregnancy ceased because insurance companies refused to honor their commitments. This brings me back to having our medical records stored in such a way that they can be accessed by insurance companies who can then "weed" us out as "risky," simply by downloading our information. I doubt that our privacy will be secure against such things happening.

The reason we PAY for insurance, is so that if we do become ill or injured, our medical needs will be met and paid for. We don't PAY for insurance so that we will be assured of being healthy at all times. If we could guarantee perfect health by buying insurance, people would fall all over themselves to pay up. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

Since our government wants to be involved in (and hopefully alters) this scandalous behavior, here's some hints: Regulate the insurance providers. Stop this foolishness and greed. Protect the people. Punish these companies (and people) who have canceled policies and failed in their commitment to their customers. Demand they honor their policies. We deserve better.

We don't have a problem with health care in this country.

I beg to differ zapper45701. For starters, patients should not have to seek treatment from a Medical Doctor for an ingrown toe-nail. We need new classes of providers and those already existing should have new authority.

Also, physicians (via orgs such as the AAMC) should not be allowed to influence how many seats we have in our medical schools. What do you think would happen to the cost of housing should home builders be allowed to set an upper limit on the number of home builders in the industry?

Actually, the heath care industry is more in need of reform than most others.

Last February, the insurer agreed to pay a $1 million fine and an additional $14 million in restitution to alleged victims to settle another lawsuit. This one was brought against it by the California Department of Insurance, which said the company violated state laws by improperly rescinding the policies of 2,330 people.

Wow tell me this insurance company didn't get off with a slap on the wrist. They had to pay these 2,330 people JUST $6,008.58 per person that has cancer. Tell me that insurance company didn't get off easy compared to what it costs to treat these people. THAT'S PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR! Anyone of you die hard right wing Republicans defending these insurance companies by saying it's just saving the policyholders money to keep their premiums down is a self centered pig. We're talking wasting peoples lives, life saving, bankrupting them or even worst making them homeless. Some of these people paid their premiums for years and years and never complained about it. When an insurance company issues a policy they are in fact gambling that your not going to need their policy. However when that same person needs the insurance their saying tough sh1t. It's like going to Vegas to a blackjack table and putting a few chips on the table and they deal you a bust hand. Then you just grab your chips back and say opps that's not the hand I wanted to play my money on. See how fast they have security at that table. Here those patients don't have the security guards to say pay up you lost that hand. These people should be arrested and charged with attempted murder or murder. It like giving them a death sentence all for the sake of someone else getting a lower premium. Wait until you or a loved one has that pulled on them then all of a sudden the saving money on premiums doesn't matter. Hey Republicans is this the business as usual that you want? Let them regulate themselves and the American consumer wins....right. Is this the death board Scary Palin was talking about during the health insurance debate. Heck she didn't tell us it was already in place did she?

I'm one of these people that had to declare BK for medical reason's while insured. They nothing but crooks. Everyone of them including the salespeople, office clerks and other employee's. They know it happens all the time but they do nothing about it and keep working for them. The agents just smile and tell you whatever it takes to sell that worthless policy. They are worst then a side street used car sells person. Heck I would trust that person more then these insurance company crooks. At least the used car person can only take you for the price of 1 car(at least it would be worth something if you got took) but the insurance company can cost you the premiums, your home or life. But these same insurance company executives get respect when they go somewhere. They are as close to a serial killer as your going to get. All for a huge profit(and people are worried about a car dealership making a profit on them geesh!)

Again charge them as killers if they cause somebody to lose their life. That would make them think twice about saving a few dollars.

One charity she contacted after being informed that it provides financial assistance to breast cancer patients told her that it does so only for women of color and of a certain age.

Wow if a black women went to a white run charity and they told her that the ACLU would be all over them for that. Is that racism?

Just my thoughts!

Hippo Potamus, are you really that stupid? Don't you understand that if they have a policy of targeting groups of people and then canceling insurance on them as soon as they get sick, you are vulnerable to that practice, too?

How would you like it if you paid for car insurance every month for ten years, someone totaled your car and took off, and your insurance company refused to pay the damages or hospital costs, canceling you as soon as they heard about the accident? That is what is happening here.

Why would anyone pay for insurance if they know they are going to be dropped as soon as they really need it? It's blatant fraud to promise someone you are going to cover any losses they have, take their money, but then withdraw coverage as soon as they try to use it.

I don't care how low your premiums are. If you are not going to get insurance in return for them, you are still being bilked to the max.

Maybe you think you are some sort of superhuman in control of every aspect of your personal life and health and will never need to actually use your insurance. The rest of us understand that we are all vulnerable to injury and illness, and buy insurance for that reason. If they withdraw coverage as soon as we need it, then what's the point of having it to begin with?

Lucky for me I have dual citizenship and can go elsewhere to access health care if I really need it. My grandfather left Europe to seek a better life for his kids and grand kids. He would be completely disgusted with the fact that the old country does a far better job of taking care of its citizens when they become sick or injured than the US does.

MrIndia,

Apparently, you did not actually read the article. These women are INSURED!

Veebs - and yet they were dropped by their insurance company because of their illness - a practice Obamacare, as it is called, is trying to put an end to.

My comment above was an attempt at humor, or rather sarcasm, using all the favorite talking points of the republicans ;-)

Now, what i would like to know is, wheather the 20 or so votes my comment has garnered, are from republicans mistakenly thinking was one of them or from democrats who were tickled by my tongue in cheek remark :-)

I'd like to add just one thing. Let's not allow the general economic climate and the well publicized greed and fraud perpetrated by Wall Street to fuel anti-rich feelings and rhetoric in this country.

There are plenty of honest, god fearing people in this country who are driving BMWs and MERCEDES due to their hard work, farsightedness, discipline, education and work ethics.

Ummmm... exactly how does Obama care stop this from happening? It's government regulation that insurance companies work within. They are only allowed to do what he government allows them to do. Er go, people are abused at the hands of insurance companies via the policies enabled by government.

This is not a free market issue. If it were a free market issue, the free market would take care of it. Through government policies, insurance is price fixed. Take a look back at WWII and the Nixon error on what price fixing does to the quality of goods and services (like insurance and medicine).

Like everyone, insurance companies are self-interested. It's that self-interest that makes the world go around. Without it, we are a collective blob of non-producers reliant on the government for everything. It's the government that has caused the cost of medicine to skyrocket, which causes the cost of insurance to skyrocket and puts out of pocket plans out of reason. Get the government out of medicine, let the free market provide medicine and the cost of medicine (like everything thing else as it improves) will drop. That would shrink the insurance industry and leave us all with the option of paying for care on our own.

Look at elective procedures and what they have become. You can have complicated plastic surgery procedures for a few thousand dollars. Veterinarians perform similar operations on pets as are performed on people for hundreds of thousands of dollars less than can be done at a hospital. Of course none of us can go to a vet for human conditions. However, the principal is the same... free market makes services better and cheaper. Social markets (like the one that has been created in medicine) make prices go up and quality go down. It's true in all government systems ever invented. Get the government out and people can then afford to treat themselves without the need for insurance.

They should put their ASSES out of business and in JAIL!!!!!!!!

QUOTE "Some state and federal regulators —- as well as investigators, congressional staffers and academic experts — say the health care legislation lacks teeth,"

Substitute the word BALL'S for teeth, and you would be RIGHT ON TARGET.!

The friggen U. S. government allows these special intrest groups (A.K.A. high payers) to lobby the ever cash hungry government official, wether it be a congressman, senator or the friggen president himself, to represent THEM when it comes time to vote on new laws.

Insurance companies are like whores (well they are whores) They want SPECIAL CONSIDERATION when a new law would affect how much money they can SUCK FROM A DYING PERSON. VS HOW MUCH OF THEIR RETIRMENT FUND THEY HAVE TO GIVE UP!.

Insurance companies have modeled themselves after OUR GOVERNMENT. THEY THINK THEY ARE ABOVE us puny pissons.

They dont care if your wife or daugher dies a slow, painful horrible death, just as long as YOU PAY THEIR OUTFRIGGENRAGIOUS (i just made that word up) PREMIUM.!

Then they, @!$%# can you fom their overpriced, 1/2 ass coverage. Dont look to the U.S.Government (AKA PUSSY) for help, because they have already given their full blessing for the insurance companies to bend you over backwards and make sweet love to you, if you catch my drift!

My dinner is waiting, I gotta go.

The core of the problem is the capacity that any well funded interest group has to buy members of both Houses to vote the way it wants. If we don’t fix that, we will continue to be screwed.

As a regular citizen, you can’t fight, as a group, neither, as a coalition, perhaps, if it gets some money piled up. But where are you going to get the money from? You will need billion to compete in any reform to any law or unjust situation like the one been discussed here.

For those of you who think that with your vote you can correct the wrong, I really wish you good luck, because I think you are just replacing one pig with another with a bigger appetite.

Clearly, what these Insurance Cias have been doing is fraud, but, are they going to be seriously punished? Good luck with that one, too.

Given the current conditions of secrecy under which most of the representatives vote, I don’t hold too much hope.

Is enforced transparency on the congressional vote and accountability the answer?

Ian, Have you ever had an ingrown toenail? Seriously, I had a run of four or five of them that not only hurt like hell whenever I walked, but also, because I'm on my feet for ten plus hours a day without taking off my shoes, they easily got infected. I had a nice mixture of blackened blood and pus oozing out of it on a rather regular basis before I sought medical help.

OF course I went to a country doctor and not an emergency room. I had a pair of thin scissor jammed underneath the toe with next to no anesthesia, screaming bloody murder while the doctor cut the nail before pulling it out from the roots.

Suffice to say, I passed out as soon as I got home.

I don't have insurance however, but luckily it only cost about $50-100.

Isn't funny. Everyone looks at the insurance companies for their blatantly unethical behavior, and totally ignores Congress' (both parties) equally unethical behavior. Congress could have, and should have outlawed this decades ago.

Having worked in both the Federal government and in the private sector, I can tell you it is impossible for Congress to be as unethical as the private sector. The private sector has some vampires and legalized mobsters who will f**k you over in a heartbeat to get your cash. This article just points out ONE atrocity.

Absolutely disgusting.

This is why I believe people shouldn't even both with Health Insurance anymore. All your doing is giving your money away because the moment you need their help they'll cancel on you in a heartbeat. Instead take that $500 ~ $1000 a month you'd be paying and put it in a special account and leave it the fck alone. If you get into serious medical problems you can use that account to pay for it. Its the exact same thing the Insurance companies do, except they take a good chunk of it for themselves. And hell you can't cancel on yourself for "preexisting conditions".

I like this!

Wellpoint (formerly BC/BS) should be shut down. Period. I can't wait for the Supreme Court cases that result from these despicable bas---ds' decisions. Wellpoint has government contracts. Cancel those. ANY private sector insurance company that denies coverage may well be investigated and prosecuted for discrimination against protected classes and the impact on taxpayers who end up having to pay when the insurance company refuses to. This ought to be fun.

Health care REFORM won't be complete until insurance companies are taken completely out of the loop.

Fortunately for Mrindia, they don't drop you because of the pre-existing condition of Racism.

Hippo potamus:

When they find out your weight..you will be canceled for sure!

BobtheFish.....

Some folks (perhaps you) delay treatment for minor health issues (e.g. ingrown toenail) precisely because they have little choice except to seek (expensive) care from a medical doctor.

Ingrown toenail can be relieved with the strategic use of a depilatory (e.g. Nair....hair and toenails are made of the same substance: keratin) and a scrape blade. This procedure will not be offered by a medical doctor. Among the reasons (it won't be offered) is that there is no procedure code for it. This is but one example where treatment choice (and costs) are driven by the (insurance) bureaucracy.

How well does anyone think a company would function if every problem therein must be brought to the attention of a high-level executive for triage to the rank and file staff? I submit the company would fail (at least) on account of excessive costs.

Ian, sadly we can't use Nair on breast cancer or pregnancy. And ferreting folks out because of a particular disease is bias. Paying premiums for something we will be denied for is fraud. If a company chooses not to cover certain illnesses or conditions, that needs to be spelled out on day one. I don't want to be paying for my health insurance, just to find out that when I have a heart attack, that they will cancel me because I have body organs. It's fraud.

Anyone who still believes that a single payer plan isn't the best way to repair this broken system just has to look mat this article. Private insurance companies have proven their inability to provide adequate reasonable health insurance for years. Put these greedy b&76$%$#&&* out of business.

Sorry zapper45701...our thread drifted off-topic. I agree with your comments.

Seems like all the problems with health insurance, dropping patients, higher rates are all in Liberal Calif. About time someone messed over the liberals.

I feel sorry for those of you who voted against Mrindia's post. That you cannot see the irony, sarcasm and humor in it, is very sad.

those wellpoint bastards! they're despicable......i wish all their customers would 'jump ship!

So far I have not had anything else to add to all the pro-health care posts. I just decided to land on yours. Right On!

The axiom "It's just business" has become the underlying tenant of some of the greatest evil on this planet. Wake up - Capitalism is not necessary Free Enterprise! What happened to these women has nothing to do with freedom, nothing to do with Free Enterprise, nothing to do with the core ideals of this Country and its people! Big Business is more of a threat to us as a Nation as was ever Hitler's Germany, the former Soviet Union or today's on going struggle against terrorism. It is the cancer within that will kill us before any so called enemy beyond our border. These executives and CEO's who perpetrated this crime against humanity should be prosecuted and incarcerated.

Hear, hear! After all, Enron did more damage to the US in 2001 than Al Qaeda did.

I agree! Thanks to all that fought the good fight and value human beings over these bloodsuckers. But according to the article, the version of the bill (which originally had the Federal Office of Health Insurance Oversight, but is not in there any more) is now watered down and will be harder to enforce. Thanks good-old Washington conservatives for looking out for our best interests!

I can hear Glenn now, somehow blaming this on those nasty "liberals" that want to take away your freedom to have your home taken away and die a horrible, early death. ...and those Faux News viewers eating it up as they always do. I have not heard about any ability to go back and "retrofit" the bill to help these people. Has anyone heard? I hope they all get the help they need. No one should have this happen! Well, maybe except Glenn and Sarah for firing people up to fight against their own best interest. (oops, did I say that out loud?)

More lies and misrepresentations from the author of this article, Murray Waas and Reuters.

Here is some absolute truth for readers! I know because I worked in the insurance industry for 30 years.

There have been laws on the book for umpteen years that insurance companies can cancel coverage for only 2 reasons: (1) non-payment of premiums and (2) in the first 6 months of the policy, if the insured lied on the application and the insurance company can prove he lied in court.

The only time an insurance company checks on whether an applicant lied is if there are huge claims on a medical condition that the applicant had to have known about when he applied for his insurance and if the doctor can corroborate in court with his patient file notes that he told the patient about his condition before the date the patient applied for insurance.

While it is true that recisions have always been illegal, thank the Bush administration for not enforcing any regulation while he was in office. To Republicans, cheating people is a perfectly fine way to get rich.

GETALIFE; non- contest clauses in State insurance codes vary from State to State, getting to court will take 3-5 years, if you can find a lawyer willing to finance that case for that long; the insurance company is gambling you will die from lack of medical care by then; if not the day of trial they will offer a settlement at about 65% of what they would have had to pay in medical costs anyhow, by then the ex-insured will be willing to take anything, if still alive. A company called McKesson wrote the manual of delay, that most insurance company's use today, I believe you can pull most of it up on the Internet.

getalifevirginia-892326:

If you worked in the insurance industry for 30 years you are either oblivious, stupid or a liar. My insurance was cancelled because they said I lied on my application. It was cancelled when I had the first of what would have been three or four relatively major claims.

What did I "lie" about? One of the questions they asked was if I had ever had chickenpox. I checked the box indicating that I had not. (Chickenpox was COMPLETELY UNRELATED to my medical condition.) I do not remember ever having chickenpox. My mother said I did not have chickenpox, my family doctor had nothing in his records stating that I had ever had chickenpox and the records from my childhood doctor had no indication that I ever had chickenpox.

During the course of everything I was going through I developed shingles. I guess one cannot develop shingles unless one has previously had chickenpox. According to my doctor, the case of chickenpox may have been so mild that it seemed like a cold or the sniffles and was never treated, so no one would have ever known about it. Nonetheless my insurance carrier insisted that I had lied and cancelled me.

Once you are cancelled by one insurance company you will play hell getting coverage from another. For all you self-serving morons out there who want to defend these bastards - I can only hope that you end up in the same boat as those who have gone through this nightmare.

The best way to hurt the insurance companies is to not buy their policies and not buy their stock. If you own their stock - sell it. If you have a portfolio that includes stock - assure that there is no insurance stock in it. They need to be brought to their knees just as they have done to so many who trusted them.

Have no fear, the Republicans have a plan. From now on, pay your doctor with a chicken or offer to paint his/her house. Who needs insurance or health reform of any kind when you can barter for your chemo!! Wonder how many chickens heart surgery would require?

dudley...how old are you? Seriously, can you read yet? I know your comment will be shut down, but I didn't mark it because I want everyone to see just how *$#^##! you are.

You obviously have no clue what you are talking about, and thus should find a thread for people your own age. Very sick people being denied health care due to insurance greed is serious. This could happen to your family member or someone you care about, and the president of the United States just did everything in his power to stop this same thing from happening in the future.

Too bad it will help people like you, too. Now grow up.

getalifeva -

The evidence would appear to prove you wrong.

Sure you're not still on their payroll?

Dave, it also could have been that your mother didn't recognize the chicken pox and didn't take you to the doctor for it to be put in your medical records.

In the old days, a lot of kids didn't go to the doctor for chicken pox - the moms just bought Calamine Lotion and put it on the spots. So the insurance company's claim that you lied (which would imply a deliberate attempt to conceal facts) should have had to be proven. As we all know, insurance companies have been above the law and common decency for a long time - and are in fact protected by some anti-trust law exception passed in 1945. That should have been fixed in this current legislation. Can't remember if it was.

I agree if they can take your money before your sick they should be required to take after you are sick, that's what you are paying for.

I agree - especially since they have no problem collecting premiums until something major comes up. Maybe they should have to refund all premiums paid if they find a 'discrepancy', theory being they wouldn't have collected them if they rejected a person in the first place.

A better regulated insurance industry does not translate into more government.

Using these people and an intentionally less regulated industry that allows these kinds of tragedies to happen in the first place as an argument to socialize medicine is immoral and unethical. And who would that be? Congress (both parties) for decades.

That was the main thrust against this bill, that it did very little to address the real problems with our heealthcare system. The artical stated that even with this enormous, overly costly bill the problem isn't solved! Incremental,targeted fixes would have done so much better, and at much less cost!

The fact that you're questioning means that we tea partiers are getting our point across. If you have not been to a rally, you can't speak about what is wrong with them.

I've been to a tea-party rally Sandy-298493. I saw a bunch of retired white folks on medicare and social security complaining about how (they (really FoxNews) think) President Obama is moving us toward socialism.

You can change your (party) name. You can change your signs. You can change your hat. You're still republicans. You (and your policies) are thoroughly discredited. Why should we take your advice? Seriously, you were arrested while driving (our nation) drunk. Sit quietly in the back seat while we rescue all of us from the ditch.

Come on Tea Partiers...explain to us again why this is good for America.

The fact that you're questioning means that we tea partiers are getting our point across. If you have not been to a rally, you can't speak about what is wrong with them.

If people have to ask you what your point is, you are NOT getting it across.

That's because Big Insurance subsidizes all these teabaggers. They pay for the buses they ride, the meals, the Depends, etc. etc. They give them the money to make their own signs. LOL. Unfortunately, they forgot to teach them how to spell or think. Instead of these teabaggers traipsing all over the country spreading hate and vile, why not take some money of that money they are using and get them an education so they can figure out for themselves that they are being duped. OK?

Spoken like a member of the party of "NO".

They should be pissed for being victimised by a Republican cleptocracy, but Glenn Beck has them demonstrating against all kinds of fake threats, not the real ones that matter.

7mathew...party of "NO".....that's cute....

Would that be as opposed to the party of YES?

No lobbyist...oh...wait...YES!

No earmarks...oh...wait...YES!

No backroom deals...oh...wait...YES!

No partisanship...oh...wait....YES!

....but then again....

YES...close Gitmo within a year....oh...wait...NO!

YES....bring the troops home right away...oh...wait...NO!

YES....Transparency in government...oh...wait...NO!

YES...bills posted on the internet before voting...oh....wait...NO!

I didn't say a word about a specific party or affiliation (though you seem to be able to read between lines that are not even there)!

I'm sorry were you hiding under a rock when those town hall meetings took place? Did you not see the fight the tea baggers and republicans put up over the health care reform? I don't remember seeing democrats or liberals screaming like banshees or threatening anyone over getting health care under control. The right wing was PROTECTING the insurance industries bottom line, what don't you understand?

Wingnut - don't give up commenting.

Ethics aren't confined to either right or left, or any other political leaning. What's wrong is wrong, and this is wrong.

People, instead of blaming "someone else", what about considering how each of us would feel if this happened to us or someone we care about. Then, let's work to change it!

Snappa give me a break....You were offended by people speaking out in public but had no problem with the arm twisting, bribing and back room deals? No body was against healthcare reform.....get your talking points straight...the anger and outrage was being FORCED to purchase insurance for ourselves and every one else who wants a free ride off the backs of working men and women.........it wasn't the REFORM, it was the POLITICS......

If the democratic party were truly in this to help people then why did they allow the lobbyist to influence their decision NOT to provide an oversight department...require 3rd party oversight, etc....It was in the original bill.....but they removed it after pressure from the lobbyist....And don't blame the Republicans, remember they were completely forced out of the process.

And I was going to actually leave a post about the article, but now that I have seen the direction of the previous posts I will refrain for it will fall upon deaf ears.

And yet......

Charles...you can untwist whatever article of clothing that may be making you uncomfortable since I was not refering to your post. You slipped yours in prior to my posting. And for your information, I agreed with your post (if you were targeting those in office)...

millerz

Really the Republicans were left out? There were several Republicans that were on the original bill writing team and I think they were just 1 short of how many Dem.'s helped in crafting it. They didn't want to vote for it because it wasn't exactlythe way they and their lobbyist's wanted it. In fact they didn't have any other idea's how it could be better until the 11th hour. Then all of a sudden they had a "better plan". Member now? But I'm ready to be corrected if I'm wrong. Perhaps that is why there isn't an enforcement arm to this health bill. I'm just not going to google it seeing that you won't! Maybe Scary Palin will fill you in at her next pitchfork and torch rally(she'll never twist the truth or say anything that isn't true). Boy she sure is raking in the money from the teabaggers huh? I guess she has to make up for her not being able to charge Alaska residents from double dipping by working and sleeping at her home by choice and charging the state per diem instead of the governors residence huh?

Yes, Rtwingnut you were apparently reading between the lines but the Democrats prevailed on the Health care Reform anyway. I'd bet if the Republicans repeal this and allow the ins. companies to return to their greedy ways and cancel health ins. policies willy-nilly like they did with these women the Republicans and tea-baggers will see a short life in Wash. DC. I'd like to see everyone of these women get the most severe form of breast cancer, or maybe ovarian cancer and see what happens when they cry out to God for help. I don't think God will be paying them too much attention.

We want to hear what you have to say. Good luck with this one!

SNAPPA: "Did you not see the fight the tea baggers and republicans put up over the health care reform?"

Quotes from your side: Hillary Clinton, 2003: "I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration, somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration."

Barack H. Obama 2008/09/17: "I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face."

SNAPPA: I don't remember seeing democrats or liberals screaming like banshees or threatening anyone. The Dem/libs are the ones that threaten people, e.g. the guys at the voting station with sticks intimidating and threatening voters. And Dem/Lib union members that assaulted an old man at a townhall meeting.

Perhaps you like Obama's buddy, the domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, who wanted to bomb the Pentagon. Tried and convicted.

Why doesn't the government check into life insurance while they're at it? They raise the premiums as you come closer to the time you need it, until the time you can't afford it any longer, then you are done. They have taken my money for years and now that I'm older, I will get nothing for my money if I choose not to pay their higher premiums. It's a racket!

That's what I was thinking. I wonder if some sort of criminal investigation is warranted.

Sandy-- you bought the wrong kind of policy. Next time study...

and niether will you, educate yourself, will you stop watching FOX news and learn the truth...

Sandy: Assuming you even read this article, are you honestly trying to say that this industry needs no regulation? Christ! Get over yourself and your biased, brainwashed attitude. You are a fricking nitwit who would blindly follow Rush and company off a cliff while drinking the red Kool-Aid if they so instructed. Good luck if you or anyone you love should end up in the position of these women who have been dropped from their insurance when they needed it most.

Do I mind paying more in taxes to help save the lives and health of others? NO I DO NOT! I'm not a greedy, self-serving, a**hole like Rush (or the others in his clique). You just don't get it, do you? Those FOX fat-cats have been paid off by the insurance industry to brainwash people like you; people who are more than willing to accept everything they tell you as God's own truth.

Well, sweetheart, when it is someone you love dying because of their greed - let's see what song you sing. Or maybe there is no one who loves you or that you love because of your inflexible, closed-minded, ignorant attitude.

and Sandy, I'm assuming you haven't lost your home because suddenly you became ill, and you are drained of everything you have. It can happen to anyone. The tax bill may or may not go up, but you're saying that you want to pay less at the expense of everyone else. I've been in the medical field, and Blue Cross has done this for years with no recourse for the person and family who's life is destroyed. Other Americans who will benefit from universal health care are not only the "sick welfare" as someone else referred to them. Consider all the people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Obtained an education, worked long hours, followed through on all their responsibilities, and now they have no job, and no health insurance if they or a loved one becomes ill. God help you if you ever find yourself in this position. I've worked since I was 16, raised a family while working, obtained a Masters while working, have a home, etc. Suddenly I became seriously ill, and if I hadn't been fortunate enough to be on Medicare, I would have lost my home, and all my savings that I built up over a life time.

I could spend a good bit of time speaking about all the ways that the lack of health care actually costs us more money. Those that don't have preventative health care or access to the healthcare system become much more ill, and ultimately costs us more through a county system. Diabetics who don't end up in hospital until they develop kidney failure, or gangrene. People who have strokes and are long term public care because the blood pressure wasn't addressed, and a very large developing problem that will impact our country to a greater degree is the development of serious drug resistant, highly contagious TB, which occurs because patients either aren't being diagnosed, or can't afford the medication necessary to cure the disease. This person could be coughing on your child today. Please don't let those who are clueless to the actual situation, or don't recognize the personal impact that a lack of health care can have on you directly, guide your attitudes. There but by the grace of God, go I....and you.

Our stories follow along the same line except I do not yet qualify for Medicare. This tragedy can and does happen so many times to good hard working people who had the misfortune to get sick, for God's sake as human's this is our fate our destiny. (I know some do not take care of themselves and could avoid some illnesses), but those who do everything right could be hit by a truck as they jog along and boom, your lifestyle and that of your family is over!

It happens all the time - this is the number 1 reason people file for bankrupcy, but the teabaggers would like to think that it's because they just spent more than they earned. Bunch of dummies.

Apparently you've never been on medicare or Military insurance like tricare. You ever been to a VA hospital? You'd be treated fairly at the VA if you actually saw a Dr. instead of someone in training that can't even pick their own nose.

Cathologos...."Medicare works."

Medicare denies more claims than anyone else in the U.S.

Medicare came in several times over it's initial estimated budget.

Medicare currently has over $30 TRILLION in UNFUNDED liability.

Please explain how it is working.

P.C.U.

Have you ever had military health care or veteran's health care. Well I have had both, and I'm here to tell you it was and is good health care. Both government run healthcare programs, pray do tell!!

Free markets don't work for health insurance because health insurance is the only product I can think of where the seller does not want you to use the product, and if you like the product they would prefer you buy it somewhere else. This leads to all sorts of perverse incentives. Somehow the free-market koolaid drinkers can never see that.

If medicare isnt good care then seniors wouldnt fight tooth and nail to keep it or prevent cuts. The problem with medicare is the widespread fraud, not the care people are getting.

You're right on there, and these ins. companies just join right in there in the fraud business. Oh yes, I too am a Retired Air Force Veteran over 65 so I use both medicare/Tricare for Life, and being a disabled Veteran I also use the local VA Hospital and get great treatment. I agree, the govt needs to crack down harder on these people who defraud Medicare.

7mathew: "Free markets don't work for health insurance..."

First, we don't have a free market. That would be a market free of any government regulations are influence. We have a regulated market.

As I stated above:

There is only pseudo-free market capitalism with the insurance companies. Only a few companies are allowed to work in each state and there is no competition between states.

Why? Congress and the individual state governments want it that way. It's totally within their power to change it. Has been for decades.

Applies to both parties....

Alykatma: "The problem with medicare is the widespread fraud..."

Unequivocally!...and it is widespread and rampant and has been for years. And what has the government (either party) done about this? In Medicare, the government as proven it can't run a business efficiently. Tens of millions of our tax dollars are lost to fraud every year. Why hasn't the government done anything? It's not their money, so why should they care. Their actions prove they don't.

Again, Medicare came in several times over it's initial estimated budget, and continues to be over budget. What logical reason can anyone give to think Obamacare will be any different? Answer, none.

Again, Medicare currently has over $30 TRILLION in UNFUNDED liability. I've asked many time how this will be paid for, and no one ever provides an answer. The reason no one answers is that to pay for it, we will have to bury our children and generations to come under mountains of debts. No one in the government seems to have the integrity and fortitude to deal with it, because their primary concern is getting re-elected. Taking care of America is somewhere way down on their list of priorities.

as long as this only happens to others they dont care. its the conservative christian way.

Whew! Get your lips off of the president's ass so the next lemming can kiss it.

You trust washington more than the insurance companies? Really? I don't trust either one of them. the only difference between them is that we can try to vote out a congressman every few years or so.

Insurance companies have been ripping people off ever since they have been in business. Our government started off as a great idea in 1776, but it has evolved into the mess it is now due to carreer politicians who flat out LIE TO YOUR FACE to get your vote and then have their hands out for the next lobbyist to give them money. And you trust them!?!?!?!?!

Health care reform was and still is a GREAT idea. The problem is that the one that was just recently passed is nothing more than a HALF-ASSED measure that will reward the insurance companies with more customers because now the GOVERNMENT is forcing us to get it! Both the govt and the insurance companies are in this together! Neither one of them gives a @!$%# about you, or me, or anyone and neither one of them are deserving of our trust.

Seriously, WHAT did the health care bill fix?

The gripe to the republicans awake since the mandate was their idea. Or didn't you know that?

I think it is funny that health insurance mandate originally was a republican idea.

And if a republican controlled congress and white house had tried to do what the democrats did with heath care, I'd be against it too. Like I said, I don't trust either of them. Republicans or democrats, both sides of the same coin and the only thing either of them care about is the next election or the next handout from lobbyists and PAC groups.

Why is it that you all always think that because someone has a problem with the way the current govt is doing business, that they must be republicans?

why is it that the ones without insurance are not the most vocal about being required to have it? everyone here that is complaining about the big bad government requiring everyone to have insurance seems to already have it.

it must be that having insurance is for the privileged and if you dont have it then you should do without medical care. a status thing maybe?

But it's been buried in the "health" section of MSN. This should have been front page news, but it wasn't. I bet you there's an ad for "viagra" running on the main page.

It was on the front page yesterday.

please get your information straight first. for once look to a source other than the propaganda you are being fed.

Are you feeding me? You have no idea what my sources are, so until you do, please put a sock in it. I know of what I speak from observation and experience.

Yeah Optomyst, because we need more of that sympathy that the providers in the article showed right! /sarc

Do not argue with an idiot. He will only drag you to his level then beat you with experience

Shellie.............Are you looking in the mirror?

My gripe is the preventative care is becoming more and more expensive.... bone scans, CT, colonoscopy. A couple of years ago I had a stress test, running on a treadmill cost over $2000.00, and because I said I had heartburn. If I didnt have insurance, I would never have done it, (was normal).

Alykatma,

I think you are pretty close to what the main problem is. The cost of going to a doctor. I feel that most people ignore the obvious due to politics, but the main issue with healthcare is the outrageous cost of going to see the doctor in the first place. And why is the cost so high? Because people who can't afford insurance or don't want to pay for insurance go to the emergency room in order to get treatment and then can not pay. Hospitals turn around and pass on that cost to people who actually pay for insurance. The insurance companies do not want to pay for those high costs. I feel that reform is needed, I just don't know what can be done.

Yeah Josey, and all these states that are suing to stop this Health Care reform will be doing nothing but denying the people access to health care, or forcing those with ins. to pay for those that are not insured. I guess that's what these rt. wing Republicans want though.

Josey: "I feel that reform is needed, I just don't know what can be done."

Exactly, reform and better regulations are needed. Not socializing medicine. One thing that needs to be done is tort reform. Why do doctors run all those tests? In an attempt to keep from being sued for malpractice. They feel like they better cover their back ends just in case they get dragged to court, so they order way to many tests, driving up the demand for the tests and consequently the prices.

and those sources are.....?

What in the world are you smoking? That is not going to happen you uninformed fool - what will happen as of January 1st is that someone's child will not be denied coverage because they have leukemia or diabetes.

Thank you.

there never really was an alternative that they proposed that addressed what this legislation does. it was a smoke and mirrors proposal that offered nothing. that is unfortunate because had they been willing to agree on the goal (universal insurance) then the input and participation would have been welcomed. unlike too many fringe people, i dont believe that any one party is always right and the other always wrong. that's not realistic. sometimes it takes different views working TOGETHER to come up with the best solution. no one seems to understand that.

Nice talking point Tom...did you get that from the left's version of Limbaugh, Olberman?

(Posted by St. Denis): The World Health Organization ranks the U.S. No. 1 among all countries in "responsiveness." Responsiveness has two components: respect for persons (including dignity, confidentiality and autonomy of individuals and families to make decisions about their own care), and client orientation (including prompt attention, access to social support networks during care, quality of basic amenities and choice of provider). This is what Americans rightly understand as quality care and worry will be lost in the upheaval of reform. Our country's composite score fell to 37 primarily because we lack universal coverage and care is a financial burden for many citizens.

With regards to our alleged 37th ranking, nearly 2/3 of that ranking measures factors that aren't specifically about healthcare outcomes, such as how much is spent per person relative to services delivered, and how evenly services are delivered.

if 50% of the population has access to that "responsiveness" and "client orientation" but the other 50% doesnt, the system completely fails 50%, rendering the "quality" of care you cite as moot for half the population.

i'm sure we're not 37th based on the science, technology and ability of our medical people, but too few have access to that care. that should be a fundamental issue for everyone.

Lawsuits are probably academic when you only have months to live and the insurance companies have lawyers on retainer who are skilled at dragging the process out.

The one thing Republicans seemed to want more than any other was to remove your right to sue.

7mathew1520

That was a great idea! Then the insurance companies can get rid of a few costly lawyers and NOT worry about what coverages they deny huh? The doctors can screw you up and they don't have to worry about those pesky messed up dieing patients sueing or the insurance company denying every policy at that last minute possibly creating a death sentence to a policy holder that was paying premiums for years for this vary reason. Yup great brain fart they had there huh? It's a win/win for the insurance co. and doctors! If that would have gone through we know they would have passed huge saving on to us huh? RIGHT!

Bravo & thank you for your service- and post. I've 'paid in' for 32 years- employer plans, COBRA, now a private policy for the last 8 years. And now covered by 1 of the villians cited [BCBS of Texas]. IMHO, "ObamaCare" didn't go far enough to prevent this kind of shameful --and prevalent industry practice. 'Single payer' for all is the solution..if you want to keep these whores in the picture, pay them to administer claims & do outcome based quality controls..and analysis...the better the outcomes, the more they [Ins Cos] would get paid.

Good points:

EXCEPT that the shareholders are also most likely ALSO screwed by the system when the overhead from stupendous salaries and bonuses at all levels in these companies suck up all of those "profits"

CityGuy: what are you talking about?? Republicans fought against having a real choice of a government health plan..............OK, you don't want "SOCIALISM" live with your teabag friends when you get dropped from Wellpoint or similar plans that could care less about your miserable life when they can't suck any more money out of you.

If you want to see a perfect system of a Socialist Government working well and for the good of the people, just travel down to New Zealand. Beautiful place they have there.

A veteran

"If you want to see a perfect system of a Socialist Government working well and for the good of the people, just travel down to New Zealand. Beautiful place they have there."

I agree. I spent time in new Zeland also with operation deep freeze when I was in the service and everyone was fine with all the health care and stuff. you don't suppose all the insurance companies and some politicians could be lying to the American public do you????????