The Truth About Health Insurance Companies

[BFT3K]

This is a very easy and interesting read...

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Healt...7911195&page=1

More reason to hope Obama can change the corrupt status quo!

[SexualDragon]

I am not surprised. the world revolves around money.

[96ukssob]

Health insurance has to be the biggest rip off right after extended vehicle warranties and auto insurance.

definitely fucked up

[kristin]

I LOVED Obama's stance and statements on this.

It's a competition ... I hope the government wins this one.

As a person who needs health insurance and has dealt with so many of them... 99.9% of them can fuck off. United Healthcare by far the worst.

[Joshua G]

forget about change. The tort & insurance lobbyists will defeat meaningful reform. Where was obama when banks defeated mortgage bankruptcy reform, a change he campaigned on? It takes him a week just to criticize the mullahs in Iran.

Yes we can: Big fucking joke.

[IllTestYourGirls]

You realize that is pure propaganda right? ABC is just like Fox News.

I am not saying I dont agree that health insurance comps are pos.

[crockett]

If you didn't know this already, you really must have your head stuffed deep in the sand. It's no big secret that insurance companies pull this BS. Everyone just "pretends" they don't.

After all we wouldn't want to become evil socialist as the Right wingers always say. Na we are just fucked instead.

[crockett]

There is a reason every other commercial on TV is some sort of BS medication, insurance or for a loan. It's because those three industries own this country and can do what ever they want.

[BFT3K]

So on one side you have Fox Noise and retarded radio loudmouths, and on the other side EVERYTHING else is propaganda?

Oh, I get it... that makes sense.

The BBC, ABC, CNN, NBC, CBS... ALL propaganda right?

So you get your accurate and non-biased news from where exactly?

I'm guessing you are going to come up with a conservative newspaper or magazine now right? And the NY Times and most other big city newspapers are also propaganda right?

Were you cheering on the decisions of the past 8 years, or are you just chiming in AGAINST the new guy now? Just wondering...

--------

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

You realize that is pure propaganda right? ABC is just like Fox News.

I am not saying I dont agree that health insurance comps are pos.

[IllTestYourGirls]

I was against the last 8 years. Unlike the hypocrites that were up in arms against the wars under Bush but are alright when Obama bombs countries we are not at war with.

I get the news from the same places you do. You just have to read between the lines.

[BFT3K]

Originally Posted by crockett

There is a reason every other commercial on TV is some sort of BS medication, insurance or for a loan. It's because those three industries own this country and can do what ever they want.

And big oil hasn't gone away either remember. They have ads running all the time now, bragging about how great they are. One in particular runs all the time here, where this guy with an English accent is boasting about how thanks to incredible research and technology, vehicle emissions have been reduced by over 70 percent... since 1970!

Wow, oil is burning cleaner now - 40 fucking years later! Let's have a party!

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by crockett

There is a reason every other commercial on TV is some sort of BS medication, insurance or for a loan. It's because those three industries own this country and can do what ever they want.

Originally Posted by BFT3K

And big oil hasn't gone away either remember. They have ads running all the time now, bragging about how great they are. One in particular runs all the time here, where this guy with an English accent is boasting about how thanks to incredible research and technology, vehicle emissions have been reduced by over 70 percent... since 1970!

Wow, oil is burning cleaner now - 40 fucking years later! Let's have a party!

So wait these people control the US? But news has cleans hands and does not run propaganda pieces? Who will profit most from Obamas plans? Big pharm. Think of all the drugs they are going to sell ;)

[BFT3K]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

So wait these people control the US? But news has cleans hands and does not run propaganda pieces?

I agree with you on that point. As the networks and newspapers that give us the news are funded by advertisements, that new health pill that is all the rage in tonight's health segment is probably bullshit.

[Nikki_Licks]

I have read wild stories like this for quite a while and have come to the conclusion that Insurance companies are nothing but crooks, plain and simple.

Recently my wife had a Stent placement. The total of that procedure was 32,000 and some change. When we got the bill, the insurance company was given a $26,000 discount as being an insurance provider and had to pay the remaining balance. WTF!
If we did not have insurance, we would have had to pay the full bill....crooks everywhere!

I think either way we are fucked, but I would rather pay for health care, but not at these ass raping fees being charged today. The insurance companies and the medical corporations along with this less than fine government are all in bed together, but now the greedy government wants the whole pie and to hell with their partners in crime.
It?s all about greed and that is how our fine US Government operates.

On another note, Today I was speaking with this elderly German lady that told me under socialized medicine in Germany, it cost them 55% of each paycheck for their health care?..little food for thought.
So I say fuck Obama and his socialized health care bullshit

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by Nikki_Licks

Recently my wife had a Stent placement. The total of that procedure was 32,000 and some change. When we got the bill, the insurance company was given a $26,000 discount as being an insurance provider and had to pay the remaining balance. WTF!
If we did not have insurance, we would have had to pay the full bill....crooks everywhere!

Here's my experience that was the complete opposite...and showed me that the insurance companies and the doctors and hospitals are ALL crooks.

I had my neck broken in an auto accident in 2002. Ended up in the hospital for a month and almost died, etc., etc.

The bill came out to around $150,000.00 I had no health insurance at the time. My car insurance paid 20 grand of my medical expenses.

But I couldn't pay the rest. I simply didn't have $130,000.00 to pay the hospital (and that didn't count the money owed to the surgeon who actually saved my life).

So I told them I needed to set up some kind of payment plan. They told me that to do that, I would have to first be turned over to collections.

So they did that. At that time I was still in a hard neck brace and full arm casts (both arms were shattered to pieces).

I began making minuscule monthly payments to the collection agency.

Finally, after about a year...the company that owned the hospital (and several other hospitals) called me and said they wanted to settle the whole thing.

I was kinda shocked because I was prepared to pay the whole bill over time.

Well, they explained to me that there were TWO billing systems. One for insurance and one for no insurance.

So instead of my bill being $150 grand...it was dropped down to 30 grand and I paid it.

In other words...knowing that you have insurance they basically told me that they artificially inflate the prices on you. All the while holding hands with the insurance companies. So the medical industry gets paid handsomely, the insurance companies are able to justify their high premiums...and we all get screwed.

That is the real reason that medical costs have skyrocketed.

And I'd bet my ass that the real people behind a "National Health Care" plan will be...The insurance companies. They will simply keep medical costs sky high, the govt. will require everyone to have insurance (just like they forced us to with car insurance), and then that insurance will be paid by the govt. in tax money.

I will guarantee you that despite the commercials and the b.s. that we are fed about medical and insurance lobbyists being against it...they are FOR it. Neither the media or the general public is ever aware of the true money deals that go down in Washington.

Just like the "federal bailout", it's gonna be another MASSIVE money grab and power consolidation.

If the federal govt. was being serious about medical costs...they would at the very least investigate WHY it costs so much to go to the damn doctor. And no, I'm not talking about high end surgery and "medical research" bullshit that they try to feed you. I'm talking about having the flu and going in to see your doctor.

Or breaking your arm. Or having a minor surgery. The costs are WAY overinflated.

Why doesn't the govt. just stop that instead of making a big money pile for the medical industry and the insurance companies at taxpayer expense?

They keep saying that medical costs are part of the bad economy on the t.v. ads. So why not do something about stopping doctors and hospitals from gouging the fuck out of the consumer?

Nah. Let's just set up a new bureaucracy that puts the medical industry and the big insurance companies on the federal tit and let them feed.

[Kevin Marx]

It's amusing that people think someone that came from crooked Chicago politics will either be able to, or is even interested in, fixing a crooked system.

Nothing will change until the political system changes.

Democrats care about change about as much as Republicans do. They only care about getting re-elected. With that, they will change just enough to look successful, or they will complain that the other side restricted them too much.

Change will cost someone money everyone. Who's going to pay for your free healthcare, or even subsidized healthcare (remember a subsidy means the government is paying... who funds the government???).

When the wealthy people get fed up with sporting all the bills, who is going to fill the coffers then? The free ride will only last for so long.

[kane]

Originally Posted by Robbie

Here's my experience that was the complete opposite...and showed me that the insurance companies and the doctors and hospitals are ALL crooks.

I had my neck broken in an auto accident in 2002. Ended up in the hospital for a month and almost died, etc., etc.

The bill came out to around $150,000.00 I had no health insurance at the time. My car insurance paid 20 grand of my medical expenses.

But I couldn't pay the rest. I simply didn't have $130,000.00 to pay the hospital (and that didn't count the money owed to the surgeon who actually saved my life).

So I told them I needed to set up some kind of payment plan. They told me that to do that, I would have to first be turned over to collections.

So they did that. At that time I was still in a hard neck brace and full arm casts (both arms were shattered to pieces).

I began making minuscule monthly payments to the collection agency.

Finally, after about a year...the company that owned the hospital (and several other hospitals) called me and said they wanted to settle the whole thing.

I was kinda shocked because I was prepared to pay the whole bill over time.

Well, they explained to me that there were TWO billing systems. One for insurance and one for no insurance.

So instead of my bill being $150 grand...it was dropped down to 30 grand and I paid it.

In other words...knowing that you have insurance they basically told me that they artificially inflate the prices on you. All the while holding hands with the insurance companies. So the medical industry gets paid handsomely, the insurance companies are able to justify their high premiums...and we all get screwed.

That is the real reason that medical costs have skyrocketed.

And I'd bet my ass that the real people behind a "National Health Care" plan will be...The insurance companies. They will simply keep medical costs sky high, the govt. will require everyone to have insurance (just like they forced us to with car insurance), and then that insurance will be paid by the govt. in tax money.

I will guarantee you that despite the commercials and the b.s. that we are fed about medical and insurance lobbyists being against it...they are FOR it. Neither the media or the general public is ever aware of the true money deals that go down in Washington.

Just like the "federal bailout", it's gonna be another MASSIVE money grab and power consolidation.

If the federal govt. was being serious about medical costs...they would at the very least investigate WHY it costs so much to go to the damn doctor. And no, I'm not talking about high end surgery and "medical research" bullshit that they try to feed you. I'm talking about having the flu and going in to see your doctor.

Or breaking your arm. Or having a minor surgery. The costs are WAY overinflated.

Why doesn't the govt. just stop that instead of making a big money pile for the medical industry and the insurance companies at taxpayer expense?

They keep saying that medical costs are part of the bad economy on the t.v. ads. So why not do something about stopping doctors and hospitals from gouging the fuck out of the consumer?

Nah. Let's just set up a new bureaucracy that puts the medical industry and the big insurance companies on the federal tit and let them feed.

Yep, the hospitals over bill any insurance they can to help inflate the profit that they lose on all the people that get treated without insurance and don't pay. That is why they charge you $20 for two aspirin or $15 for a plastic little pitcher full of water. Never mind that the second you check into the ER they basically bill you $800 before you are even seen.

Several months back my regular doctor was on vacation. I need a prescription called in and his office wouldn't do it without me coming in. They couldn't see me for three days. I couldn't wait that long. So I called a local doctor and told them I have asthma, need a prescription for my inhaler and can't get it from my regular doctor for a few days so I need something to hold me over until then. The first doctor's office told me it was a flat $200 just to see me. So I ended up going to an urgent care center. I literally was in there about 10 minutes. She listened to my lungs, hear my story and wrote me the prescription I needed and it cost me $127. Basically $127 to write me a prescription for 1 asthma inhaler.

The same goes for pharmacies. Many pharmacies actually overcharge their cash customers to make up the profit from insurance. For example if you get prescribed a medicine and you have insurance to cover it there is a max that insurance will pay. So say the max they will pay is $90 for a 30 day supply. If you have a $10 co-pay the pharmacy will charge you $100 for the medicine. You pay $10 and your insurance pays the other $90. Now if you walk in and want to pay cash for it you may end up paying $130,$150 or more for the exact same thing. Since there is no insurance cap they can charge you what they want.

If you call up pharmacies and ask for a price on a medicine many will ask you if you want the "cash" price. If the say that it is because the charge a different price for cash than they do for insurance. It is all a scam.

[BFT3K]

Obama was voted in because MOST of the people WANT change.

Completely changing the status quo is almost impossible, because no one wants to give up their power and payola. There are 6 medical lobbyists per congressman in Washington - do the math.

All of you who believe the government should "stay out of everything" are absurd. How about from now on, you pave and plow all of your own roads, you set up a prison system for your state, all your kids get home schooled from now on, you can pull out a medical book and repair your own medical issues from now on, etc.

The insurance companies need a fucking wake up call right now! The rates are absurd, and the coverage is inadequate. Time for a change!

[Joshua G]

Originally Posted by BFT3K

Obama was voted in because MOST of the people WANT change.

Completely changing the status quo is almost impossible, because no one wants to give up their power and payola. There are 6 medical lobbyists per congressman in Washington - do the math.

All of you who believe the government should "stay out of everything" are absurd. How about from now on, you pave and plow all of your own roads, you set up a prison system for your state, all your kids get home schooled from now on, you can pull out a medical book and repair your own medical issues from now on, etc.

The insurance companies need a fucking wake up call right now! The rates are absurd, and the coverage is inadequate. Time for a change!

but the people who will change it all get money from the people that benefit from the system today. The way to get change is to have a POTUS who has the brass balls to fight for it. So far the only fight Obama has made is against 4 teenage somalis with AK's vs the navy SEALs. he lacks the balls to fight for anything. The israeli settlers are saying fuck you obama, the north koreans are saying fuck you obama, he does nothing. he cant even criticize the fucking mullahs! Forget about change. its not happening.

[BFT3K]

Originally Posted by joshgirls

but the people who will change it all get money from the people that benefit from the system today. The way to get change is to have a POTUS who has the brass balls to fight for it. So far the only fight Obama has made is against 4 teenage somalis with AK's vs the navy SEALs. he lacks the balls to fight for anything. The israeli settlers are saying fuck you obama, the north koreans are saying fuck you obama, he does nothing. he cant even criticize the fucking mullahs! Forget about change. its not happening.

Change is happening, and more change is coming brother. Don't worry about it!