Peggy Raddatz: It Was Unethical

Today, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing entitled "Terminations of Individual Health Policies by Insurance Companies." The hearing examined the practice of "post-claims underwriting," which occurs when insurance companies cancel individual health insurance policies after providers submit claims for medical services rendered.

Peggy Raddatz testified about her brother's experience:

What the Fortis Insurance Company did was unethical. To deny a dying person necessary medical treatment based upon medical conditions a patient has never had knowledge of, never complained about or never been treated for is cruel.

It is our hope that this information will benefit other patients who are in need of life saving medical treatments and who do not have the knowledge or means necessary to fight against the health insurance companies. It is further our desire to expose these practices of Fortis Insurance Company so that others do not suffer as their victims.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Rescission Practices
• Health Care

[onlyrey]

This was really heartbreaking. Shows that Health Insurance companies are actually doing a disservice to the United States. I think that what was done to these people (and MANY others) is criminal, and those involved in the insurance companies SHOULD be prosecuted for criminal charges.

[justlooking58]

I'm shocked the media doesn't give exposure to powerful testimony like Peggy Raddatz and Robin Beaton.

People I know have no awareness at all of cases like this. All they know is that in Canada they have to wait for months to get an MRI...So our system must be much better.

[brotherbob1978]

no voice on this video... is this just me?

[LoveToday8]

Too bad the bill the Democrats are passing is just a bailout for health insurance companies.

If we want real reform, we need to press for a single-payer system.

[HarlequinFilms]

Peggy, I hope your brother is feeling better.

My husband is going through rescession with BCBS of IL. One week after his approved surgery he laid helpless in bed wrapped bandages and while making a casual call to BCBS of IL, an agent told me that his insurance policy was rescended (cancelled). I had never heard that word before. She was rude and condescending to me, like she had scored a hit. It is immoral what insurance companies & LOBBISTS do to us.

[leppy111]

Our healthcare is just fine, it works, it's free, we have state of the art facilitiesand there is insignificant wait times for serious illness.I can go see a Doctor when ever I need to (any Doctor) the cost to run it is about 3%- And as a plus, businesses are not shouldered with the burden of providing health insurance (why do you think walmart endorses it)

[Chrisfs59]

You don't need to, People can pay for their own if they are given fair health insurance.

[malibuhur12]

So no im not but yes i am because we have a social responsibility. Hmmm. Ok. Listen I feel for you, but I think you are in the wrong country. We are supposed to be a republic where everyone has god given freedoms not to be infringed by anyone else including government. We are even supposed to be paying an income tax, its unconstitutional. The more government has gotten into private industries the worse it has gotten. Government run health care sounds like a nightmare. talk to the Canadians.

[Spydyee2]

Very productive comment......... NOT!

[Spydyee2]

Go to PBS and check out the interview that Bill Moyers did with Wendell Potter a former VP with Cigna. It is very enlightening. He is not an unhappy former employee. Moyers establishes his credentials and the conditions under which he left Cigna. He actively acknowledges that "Sicko" was targeted by the insurance industry becasue it hit the nail on the head.

[Spydyee2]

In other words when I went to  the radiologist and was passing blood clots the size of my hand I would not have been sitting there for 2 hours waiting on a woman who was having her breasts examined to determine if she was a candidate for implants to take her from a B to a D cup. That would not have happened in Canada, France, or the UK. However, what would have happened is that she would have complained because she had to wait to get her ultrasound and that would have been reported here.