Inside the Insurance Industry

[s46d45m17]

You should not be able to profit off of others getting sick or hurt, this is goolish, If I pay my health insurance you better believe if I get sick you will pay one way or another.

[beadlejl]

@pluto4847 Healthcare has in my memory always been expensive and it was much worse when I was young. There were no single rooms, but wards where beds were separated by curtains. There were no tvs. Healthcare staff could ignore you or talk to you any way they wanted. I don't remember any pain medication. You just suffered. The doctors had no ethics - but cash. If it weren't for the sixities, and people suing some of these arrogant plutocrats, it would still be like that.

[whoo689]

That's still about 95% or more of private insurance claims that AREN'T denied. We're supposed to overhaul our entire system for a mere 4-5% of people whose claims were denied?? SERIOUSLY? In what world does that make sense?

You want a public option? Fine. But we don't need a huge overhaul to a government-run insurance system or anything quite like THAT. There are some more modest changes that can and should be made to cover those without coverage or help them afford it.

[whoo689]

bit .ly/5QWDfW The AMA already studied denials and found that Medicare is the worst offender, with over 6% of claims. Private insurance denies less, yet we hear NONSTOP the bitching about claims denied by the Left. But NOTHING is said about Medicare denials. WHY?? Is it because it would screw up their great narrative of Medicare being SOO much better than private insurance?

come on...

Besides, less than 6% of private claims denied sounds like a pretty good record to me.

[heylelshalem]

could you imagine the police department or the fire department denying you being saved from harm because you did not properly fill out a form? or because you did not pay a due to them? why is health considered a seperate service? is'nt it an essential right?

[Clyaton]

Is your groceries paid by someone else? Isn't eating an essential right? And yet when you are hungry you cannot legally pick from my garden. Think about this. The problem is not that insurance companies stiff us (which they do), it's that we let them exist in the first place, and let government make EVERYBODY use this system... Our care IS socialized, it has been for a long time, and that is why it costs so damn much, and that's why everyone has to have their damned insurance... Sad state

[denarrdo]

why does'nt obama give the clunkers to the kenyens?where he was born

[Evenor48]

If all is clear, why the same people don't agree with the new system plan?

[snesich]

Lots of people think "I'm not worried. I have health insurance. I'm covered."

Then they get very sick or seriously injured and they find out that the insurance companies won't cover what is needed. And then the insurance company will still stick them with a bill for tens of thousands of dollars.

Insurance companies lie. And they hire big lobbyists and lawyers to do their dirty work. And they bribe Republicans in congress to do their bidding. They have to be stopped. Now.

[Evenor48]

Maeanita, you are ignorant about this because almost all the inmigrants did'nt receive any benefits when they pay the taxs. the problem here is economic interest of the medical system in the usa. they wannot to loss the control. They have the control and they wannot to loss this control, is clear, you can to see?

[YCDPKLD]

Hello, Evenor.

Greed (economic interest) in america is problemed. not every where in the usa but yes in many places. insurance is broken, not because is fundamentally wrong, is just been corrupt by those who control it best. insurance can to work but greed cannot. greed wannot to loss control of everything. they wont let loss the control so easy.

yes usa can to see this. what can we do? it is the only choice.

and if immigrants are paying taxs, yes they should have the right of the benefits.

[MaeAnita7]

This health care plan, for the most part, where insurance company rip offs are concerned is EXACTLY what we need. What kills me is everyone is completely avoiding the real reason this reform is being dissed. IT'S BECAUSE OF WHAT IS STIPULATED FOR THE BENEFIT OF ILLEGAL ALIENS AND OTHER FOREIGNERS WHO ALREADY DRAIN OUR SYSTEM. THEY DON'T PAY INTO ANY OF TAXPAYER FUNDED PROGRAMS, BUT HAVE BASICALLY UNRESTRICTED ACCESS. WE WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT WE PAY INTO. THAT IS THE ISSUE.

[motzaballsguy]

Actually there is no such stipulation in the current reform package. Mandatory treatment at county hospital emergency rooms has been a safety net law since 1986 (EMTALA, Google it). It is a huge cost to the taxpayers, but without it hospitals would just dump patients without insurance out on the streets and not treat them as they bleed to death. That is the only thing illegal aliens have access to: THE ER. So someone has been feeding you a load of crap.

[moneyman237952]

you are clueless this has nothing to do with immigration. Get your head out of your ass and accept the fact that this is a country of immigrants and if you don't like it leave or better yet kill yourself!!

[MaeAnita7]

We'd all be better of if you would, actually!!!!

[jayp883]

The people who think their health coverage is great either work for a company that pays most of the coverage. Also they generally haven't needed to use their insurance ..or have been healthy. Most insurance companies will not pay for well care...they bank on you getting really sick and then they limit your care.

[DreamsSpirit]

Im employed by a small government funded co that serves one of the riches school districts in MO. We dont have health coverage, it isn't even offered to us.

This Company is just another example how greed dilutes humanity through government corporate interest.

Excuse: Company cant afford group Insurance.

Why do I find that hard to believe?

[gaycowboymovies]

American consumers are easy targets...

Whether they are buying substandards cars from Detroit or buying junk insurance.

Wave a flag in front of us and have us watch through some propaganda movie from Hollywood and we become zombie consumers.

[MalaCrim]

The biggest myth supporting US health care is that a publicly subsidized one, like Canada's, will limit people's choices. We are healthier and pay less for health care than our American neighbours. And I have all the choices that Americans do in selecting a physician or treatment options. Michael Moore's depiction of Canada in "Sicko" was not that far from the truth.

[PeaceProfit]

The true issue at hand and choice being made is about using taxpayer money to either keep the people oppressed as health care consumers of large, centralized corporate insurance plans, who's profits are subsidized by public funding, or empowering the people to become health care providers, creating alternative, cost effective care systems for individuals, families and business.

Unfortunately the choice is not yours, unless millions are willing to take their decision to the streets.

C.H.A.O.S.

[BecomePassersby]

It's mystifying that some Americans STILL want to entrust their own health care to corporate bureaucrats who make millions by LIMITING the health care the American people can receive.

Greed is NOT "good" -- and whoever told you that was a liar, or maybe just stupid.

[rickbar123]

WE ARE THE MOST STUPID PEOPLE ON EARTH.......it is mystifying

[milehigh587]

Every health insurance CEO should be tried for murdering millions of Americans. Then executed. And I'm a Republican. Shut them down now. Execute the top of the company as a warning for future generations.

[nohealthcare62]

yes i want to buy the rope to hang the sob's and be the 1 who pulls the lever ! hr676 today !

[bpartoens]

The health care industry spent over $1.4 million a day this year lobbying our elected officials in DC. Corporations never doing anything unless it will profit its bottom line/shareholders. For profit health insurers bought a seat at the Senate Finance Committee hearings.

Most of our elected officials are whores. We should replace the white light bulbs on Capitol Hill with red ones. We know what the elected are, might as well advertise.

End for profit health insurance in the USA.

[bpartoens]

The USA is a fascist state. Corporatism gone wild. We don't have a 2 party system. It is an illusion to make it seem that working Americans actually have a voice. Same bird,different wing.Most of those in DC are whores to the corporate lobbyists. False flag attacks fuel the need for war machine. To get people to fight their for profit wars, they implode the economy, workers loose their health benefits and often "volunteer" for the military to put food on the table and have health care benefits.

[beadlejl]

I am so glad to see this out there. I have forwarded this link to all my family and friends, who are still banging the drum for Bush because he was "born again".

[noxidereus]

Excellent and informative. 5 stars. Thanks

[TheNomadicMonad]

Very informative interview, thanks.

[hypnofan35]

Sounds more like a racket. Who's the mob boss.? I got a fatal injury on the job and Liberty Mutual slimed their way out of it. All they care about is their money. They act like almost dying and being saved by emergency open heart is some kind of a scam. I hate these guys. If i could hire Dick Cheney to stage a terrorist attack on their building, i would consider it.

[Bunnicula71]

The GOP loses a member every time some poor dope who toed the line, paid his premiums for 20 years, gets tossed when he gets sick or injured.

Seriously, you'd think small business owners in the GOP would be making a stink for single payer.

Frankly, we've sacrificed our nation's health for military hegemony.

[anolmec]

Brother you've hit the nail squarely on the head. Big time

[mbishton1]

Of course since they are in bed with Diebold, they can just tweak the electronic election results.

Talk about a low overhead way of getting elected!

[2pass1word]

@Bunnicula71

in my opinion all the insurances is one legalized mafia,American tumor

[savebury]

the insurance industry in America only pays 35% of the medical bills in our country. The government already pays about 45% of our healthcare cost in America. The poorest person in England has a longer life expectancy than the wealthiest Americans. We have a higher infant mortality rate than Cuba. A child born in Cuba has a better chance of surviving than a child born in America.

[Musicmixer721]

This sucks!

[MyImago]

Good Video:

"According to the Economist the total US spend on health care is 15.4% of GDP including both state and private. With that it gets 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, 3.3 hospital beds and its people live to an average age of 78.2. As a whole Europe spends 9.6% of GDP on health care, has 3.9 doctors per 1,000 people, 6.6 hospital beds and live until they are 81.15 years old. And they have universal health care.

[kazooga1234]

i hope that this message dose get out and something is done to stop the insurance companies from doing shitty jobs at helping people

[FlowerClown]

single payer now!

[PaulLeary]

Keep making great films!

[citybutch]

pay attention to his "for profit insurance companies" comments. They are there... and there is a stark difference between the not-for-profit and for profit health insurance companies...

[SevenSixTwoNato]

Yes, but even not-for-profit agencies and HMOs are typically still subsidiaries of for-profit companies, or utilize for-profit firms as Pharmacy Benefit Managers and the like.

[atlant80]

If Obama doesn't pass the public option, he has lost my vote in 2012.

[marniespeaks]

keep it coming!

People have to make Obama hear them loud and clear.

Call your Congress person, but also Call the White House

202.456.1414

202.456.2461

[swankrecords]

Excellent report!

[RedNymph234]

to dump a sick person and have them pay the bills should be illegal and is disgusting...people are human beings and their welfare is in the line...their very existance is jeapordized when they can't pay for medicine or surgery

[TainaAtheist1]

Has CIGNA broken the law? Is or has Wendell Potter spoken up in DC?

[waltermh111]

He may have tried to speak up.

The thinktank he works for now does talk to politicians alot.

But few want to mess with the insurance industry. It pays out alot of money to people.

As far as the law. If theres any reguylation of the insurance industry, its like some other places, all in the wrong spots.

But from my knowledge, there seems to be very little regulation on them so wheres the law to break?

[waltermh111]

Now, people do often take insurance companies to court over individual cases of the company breaking their own contracts, but that is a large burden for each individual to deal with.

[kazooga1234]

ya but thats still really expensive to do and not always worth it and then its prob settled under the table so its not known about if won at all

[wervasdeferens]

We have to be the dumbest collection of people in the History of Dumb.

We allow ourselves to be ripped off by the corporations,and then allow the corporations to scream about Taxes and control the government's agenda.

The CEO made $65 million in 2 years, of course he would be against a public option. Damn greedy assholes.

[RedNymph234]

i don't think its that we allow it, I just think we can't do much for it. We can scream all we want and try and vote for better politicians...but in the long run...I don't think we the citizens can actually do anything or hold people accountable...I am sad for that

[wervasdeferens]

RedNymph234,

That's true, but maybe we need to take a clue from the French Revolution, MLK marches or even the recent protest in Iran.

We the people need to take our country back, because they sure aren't going to just give it back.

Unfortunately, Reagan lead us down the path of blame the government, hands off the Corps. They're one in the same now, a

Corporatocracy.

Put the Guillotines on standby. LOL

[RedNymph234]

i totally agree with you. Its time the people show the politicians that we are sick of being toyed with, our very lives and welfare are their playthings and we need to show them we aren't wimps. We really do need to march in the streets on a massive scale, like every city at once (though that'd be hard to pull off) We need to send them the message. but it'll only get much worse before it gets better. If its worse, it'll prompt people to take action

[wervasdeferens]

Excellent points!

We can have a peaceful revolution,like Gandhi or MLK. It doesn't have to be violent, although I do want a piece of Rush Limbaugh. LOL

[mbishton1]

It has always been this way. No one under 35 is in national public office, unless their daddy got them in.

Barack Obama is a young fresh face @45!

&@ or close to an age where no one shoould trust him to do what is right!

Why can a president not be younger than 35? Experience? can help, but is a liability if it puts one's thinking into a box!

Don't ever vote for anyone over 45, even when you are. I've known this for 40 years and now at age 58, I'm just one of the enemy.

Good luck!

[wervasdeferens]

Excellent points!

I'm over 45, and I would like to think that I'm open minded and able to still accept new ideas. After all,that is what being a Liberal is all about.

However,being open minded can also be a detriment. For example, Obama insisted on compromising with the Right on the stimulus package. The bulk of the initial outlay was in the form of Tax cuts, like the Right demanded.

Tax cuts aren't very stimulative.

And now, the Right is complaining that the stimulus isn't working.

[IWLocal8]

Great to run into you again Werve! Hope all has been well. I can see us fighting to get first crack at "el Rushbo".

[mbishton1]

The problem with taking the country back is that the people who give those in government their power {those over 45- baby boomers) will not help. They won't help because they 1) have their heads in the sand. 2) have accumulated their wealth (if they ever are goning to) and don't want to rock the boat too much. & 3) are too fat and lazy to fight their way out of a wet paper bag, let alone make the sacrifice this kind of revolution will take.

For many of you reading this, these are your parents.

[beadlejl]

I am 59 and I heartily agree with you. Those of us who were courageous enough to fight the system back in the sixties and seventies against Vietnam and for Civil Rights and watched in horror as our non-thinking peers followed that old WWII mindset to the position we are in now. For some the sacrifices were too great and they learned that doing the right thing will get you killed, umemployed and imprisoned. The slaveowners are in power and they want their slaves back - in chains.

[pluto4847]

@beadlejl

Good point. And if I may say sir, with all respect: Healthcare was better and more affordable in your generation compared to now, was it not?

[jelly17000]

Thanks Wendell <3

[ndyt]

correct me if I am wrong, but you can't dump a sick person on a company plan.

[atripa645]

You are completely wrong. It doesn't matter if it's a company plan or private. If they can find any reason like filling out the application wrong they can send you to the ER

[waltermh111]

you are wrong.

You are not guaranteed anything as its not the company buying a package plan.

A company simply bargains with the ins company based on the idea that the more employees the more people likely to join the insurance plan. The higher chance of getting healthy people onboard.

Also based on the company helping to subsidize the plan they offer to the employee so more will enroll.

Nohing is guaranteed that I have any knowledge of

I could also be wrong. Not 100% of companies are the same

[okayillgonow]

video description: "A former insurance executive comes clean about industry practices designed to kick the sick off the rolls and rip off patients to make obscene profits."

Well that's because trying to insure the sick would be unprofitable. But since many of these big insurance companies have "friends" in the government, they are capable of ripping off ill persons much more easily than people think.

A great example of State-Capitalism.

[waltermh111]

and with private capitalism they can rip people off wholesale without restriction because regulaton is looked down upon.

But even then, your accusation is baseless anyway as the law does speak one way or another on the issues he brings up here.

How does the government give businesses permission to deny people claims or insurance or allow it to ration care or push procedures on people that dont need such things?

Not regulating doesnt make it state capitalism.

[okayillgonow]

waltermh111

You're not seeing the other side of the coin.

Big Business attempts to pressure a nation's legislature to make laws that are in their favor. And the Insurance Industry is just the tip of the ice berg.

On the grounds of de/regulation, there is regulation that is beneficiary/adverse to society, and there is deregulation that is beneficiary/adverse to society. So on the grounds of the insurance industry, there probably was deregulation that benefits them as well.