Which Health Insurance Company Rejects The Most Claims?

[UNTflyer]

Unless you are very rich or have insurance, you are in real trouble today. I just finished having a stem cell transplant evaluation. Fortunately, the tests show I have to be monitored, but, at least, I do not have to have a transplant. I don't know what the total costs will be, but they already well exceed $20,000. On top of that I will have continued monitoring for the rest of my life. How can someone do this without insurance? We have a number of people on staff and in plant who are hard working good people. Our school pays the premium for the employee but not the family. Many of these people cannot afford to pay for their family. What happens if disaster hits them? What as a society do we do? What do the people who time and again say this is a Christian nation do?

Insurance is about pooled money paying for those who utilize its benefits. Profit comes from premiums exceeding claims. Run health insurance out of business and nobody will be able to afford it. Premiums are going up because the cost of health care is going up. Why? Several reason... frivolous lawsuits, patients who don't pay their bills, administrative costs, inefficiencies in the system... all of these are drivers. But the #1 health cost driver, according to this report, is new technologies and medicines. One estimate says technological advancements are responsible for 65% of the increase in costs since 1999.

We are living in a unique period in time where technological advances are driving the cost of health to a point of being nearly unaffordable, even for the wealthy.

Here is a cold hard fact - the health care bill is designed to run insurance companies out of business and push citizens into the arms of socialized medicine. The plan simply cannot work - force insurance companies to provide more coverage for lower premiums? It can't be done. It is designed to fail.

I've said it before - to reduce health care costs you must flood the market with health care services, not cut back. My 7 point plan is:

• Interest-free student loans for all students majoring in a medical science (doctors, nurses, researchers, technicians, physical therapists, pharmaceutical chemists, etc.)
• Set up a student loan forgiveness program - forgive 10% for every 1,000 hours of public or charity health services.
• Give tax incentives to pharmaceutical companies if they release a pharmaceutical patent early, or develop a generic alternative within 3 years of their patent being issued.
• Move all medical malpractice lawsuits to federal jurisdiction, and cap punitive damages to 10 times the annual salary of the plaintiff.
• Help reduce malpractice cases by creating a national board for physician licensing. Lose three malpractice lawsuits, and you lose your license for life.
• Allow insurance companies to sell plans across state lines.
• Repeal the law requiring emergency rooms to treat all patients. Allow hospitals to determine who should be admitted and who should be referred to a clinic.

The solution to a market problem is to help the market correct itself. Reduce costs, increase competition, and prices will take care of themselves.

[FirefightnRick]

Insurance is about pooled money paying for those who utilize its benefits. Profit comes from premiums exceeding claims. Run health insurance out of business and nobody will be able to afford it. Premiums are going up because the cost of health care is going up. Why? Several reason... frivolous lawsuits, patients who don't pay their bills, administrative costs, inefficiencies in the system... all of these are drivers. But the #1 health cost driver, according to this report, is new technologies and medicines. One estimate says technological advancements are responsible for 65% of the increase in costs since 1999.

We are living in a unique period in time where technological advances are driving the cost of health to a point of being nearly unaffordable, even for the wealthy.

Here is a cold hard fact - the health care bill is designed to run insurance companies out of business and push citizens into the arms of socialized medicine. The plan simply cannot work - force insurance companies to provide more coverage for lower premiums? It can't be done. It is designed to fail.

I've said it before - to reduce health care costs you must flood the market with health care services, not cut back. My 7 point plan is:

• Interest-free student loans for all students majoring in a medical science (doctors, nurses, researchers, technicians, physical therapists, pharmaceutical chemists, etc.)
• Set up a student loan forgiveness program - forgive 10% for every 1,000 hours of public or charity health services.
• Give tax incentives to pharmaceutical companies if they release a pharmaceutical patent early, or develop a generic alternative within 3 years of their patent being issued.
• Move all medical malpractice lawsuits to federal jurisdiction, and cap punitive damages to 10 times the annual salary of the plaintiff.
• Help reduce malpractice cases by creating a national board for physician licensing. Lose three malpractice lawsuits, and you lose your license for life.
• Allow insurance companies to sell plans across state lines.
• Repeal the law requiring emergency rooms to treat all patients. Allow hospitals to determine who should be admitted and who should be referred to a clinic.

The solution to a market problem is to help the market correct itself. Reduce costs, increase competition, and prices will take care of themselves.

Excellent points.

But the #1 health cost driver, according to this report, is new technologies and medicines.

This of course includes Stem cell transplant technology.

Rick

Edited October 10, 2009 by FirefightnRick

[UNTflyer]

This of course includes Stem cell transplant technology.

Rick

Exactly.

"I demand that my insurance cover a risky, unproven, experimental procedure!"

vs.

"Why is insurance so high??"

[Graddean]

Sorry folks. You make some good points; however, stem cell transplants for treatment of multiple myeloma is certainly no riskier than the disease. As far as being experimental, what is not experimental for a disease that is said to be incurable. I do agree with UNTFlyer the problem is really not insurance but the cost of medical care. The problem is we have to find some way to pay for the costs until the costs are contained.

[UNTFan23]

First of all, let's look at all your contributions to this thread:

Rick,

The Health Insurance companies are so corrupt...I just give no merit to your post! I am sorry you favor greed over working class people. It is just weird! Good luck with it!

If they would make it simple.(No preexisting conditions) Earn 10%. Move on in ways that actually helped people then we would not need this debate. I agree to Tort reform if you will not bankrupt hard working families that have a heart condition.

Give me a compromise and let's take it to our congressman together working to help America....help people Rick.....Help them!!!!! God put poor people here to test you!!!! Now do the right thing! I know you have a huge heart and compassion!!!! Let your freak flag fly brother,,,,America needs your support to help those in need.

Peace and health to all .......

EE

Again, point is made! What do insurance companies do? What do they produce? Paperwork? Derivatives? Advertising? Lobby? Not much else....Proved my point again...

Why does a company have to produce something tangible? Can they provide a service that is in demand? Providing health insurance is a service.

What point? This point?

You call this a small margin??????????????????????

http://www.healthreformwatch.com/2009/05/2...sation-in-2008/

Paying wages/salary is an expense. Profit is what's left after paying all the bills. A CEO's compensation can influence a company's margin but it not the margin itself, which is what your post alludes to. Reducing a company's CEO pay can increase its margins, but that also assumes while CEO pay is reduced, other expenses don't rise.

If you're point was CEO pay = Margin, I believe you are incorrect. If your point was that you don't like insurance companies, then I think you've done a good job letting everyone know that.

[Monkeypox]

Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool

Higher premiums for many than the insurance they can't afford or get denied for. Thanks, but no thanks. These risk pools are a joke, and I know from personal experience. They are required to charge double-premiums by law. They're great if you've got a SEVERE condition deemed too high risk for an insurance carrier, but if you're denied for something like Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (which DOES happen), then you simply don't have a choice in the matter. These are for people who would die without treatment. Not for people with pre-existing conditions who can't get coverage because they've got a different job and minor but long-term illnesses.