Health insurance executives undermine insurance lobbyist’s pledge to reform insurance market.
Health insurance executives undermine insurance lobbyist’s pledge to reform insurance market.
Yesterday, during an interview with Bloomberg Radio, Karen Ignagni — the President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) — reiterated insurers’ commitment to reforming the health insurance marketplace:
That’s what people want. They want to be in. They don’t want to be rejected because of preexisting conditions, and they want to make sure they have continuity of care. We’ve committed to that. That’s what our industry is doing. We are one of the first to step up and offer real change that affected our industry. And we’re still committed to that.
While the insurance industry has publicly supported regulations that would guarantee everyone coverage and outlaw pre-exising condition exclusions, Ignagni may be overstating the industry’s commitment to so-called “market reform.” On June 16, despite Ignagni pledges of commitment, insurance executives from UnitedHealth Group, Assurant, and WellPoint specifically refused to “commit” to ending the controversial practice of rescinding coverage after an applicant files a medical claim. Watch a compilation of Ignagni’s claim and insurers’ refusal to end rescission:
As former health insurance executive Wendell Potter argues, insurers seek to “drive down” costs by refusing to insure “unhealthy people,” a tactic borne out by the fact that 47 million Americans currently lack health insurance. The “insurance industry has been one of the most successful, in beating back any kinds of legislation that would hinder or affect the profitability of the companies,” said Potter. The Wonk Room has more.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Not to sure on this have to wait and see, as this could be a ploy to make it seem they want change.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:04 pmI think the article is saying that Wendell Potter has been quoted as saying that the insurance lobbyists’ are lying. That’s what I get.
If so, hell, I knew that.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:08 pmThere is no way these slimy creeps will self regulate. It’s like asking the fox to make sure the henhouse is safe.
They have had YEARS to make this happen and have not!
August 6th, 2009 at 5:08 pmSelf regulate? Like in the late ninties and when Bush was in office? Yeah, That worked well! Greed is destroying this country. From bankers to executives of Big Business. They have no loyality to the American people anymore. They worship the Almighty Dollar.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:13 pmuse to be way back went most all executives would start at a ground floor position and more they grew with the company more the company grew as well.
now its what you going to give me to run this company so theres no pride in the company anymore.
sad
August 6th, 2009 at 5:19 pmHERE IS THE CONTACT INFORMATION INCLUDING A TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR FREEDOM WORKS….LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO AMERICA
601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, North
August 6th, 2009 at 5:20 pmBuilding, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 202.783.3870 Fax: 202.942.7649
Toll Free: 1.888.564.6273
good thing they’re not standing between us and our doctors.
only a crazy socialist who makes $60k/yr. at a dshs job would want to do that.
not someone who stood to make 10’s of millions of dollars on preserving a defective status quo.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:25 pmThose insurance folks are all liars and thieves. Whatever reforms they “agree” to, or not, need to be in writing in the proposed legislation, with no ambiguity.
By the way, Lou Dobbs is a moron.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:25 pm.
I WANT
CONGRESS
CARE !
F_CK
PHARMA
CARE!
.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:25 pmYeah, right!! Just like the “clean coal” fraud.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:26 pmThe Insurance Companies and Big Pharma Realize that Change is Coming
Their goal NOW is to make sure it is Small Change.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:31 pmGood comments PD but just to be correct, the Chimp didn’t steal office and start living illegally in the White House until January 20 2001…..so “the late nineties” is not correct.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:31 pmBadger,
August 6th, 2009 at 5:34 pmThat would work IF they take Americans for chump change.
It was so pointed that they had to look in the camera and tell America that they intend to screw them.
That’s what loaded questions are for.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:37 pmMax,
I Hope it WON’T Work…we need REAL CHANGE. If it isn’t Real (Public Option)Reform , then I hope it Gets Defeated. And I hate having to say that.
We’ve got the Best Government Money Can Buy…MSNBC has been doing a Good job Detailing the FUND$ Flowing into the coffers of the Legislators with Influence on the Health Care Bill.
We need a better Way to FUND Elections…and Congress needs a Backbone Transplant.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:45 pmwatchdog says:
What a loaded question.
Do you ever get tired of showing everyone how much of an idiot you are? Sheesh.
Did your mama drop you on your head when you were a baby or were you born that way?
August 6th, 2009 at 5:48 pmattaboy, puppy. stick right in there and help those guys buy a few more houses. let your patriotism be measured by how deep you’ll let some rich frat boys ram it up your bung while you thank them and ask for more.
nice dignity ya got there. you’re really one proud and independent sunuvagun.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pmKaren Ignagni — the President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) — reiterated insurers’ commitment to reforming the health insurance marketplace…
Sure. And I believe in Santa Claus and the Easter bunny.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:53 pmThis isn’t news. I strongly support health care reform and want a single-payer system, but it’s a nature-of-the-beast issue to expect insurance company executives to voluntarily hedge successful tactics.
SEC laws require executives to take advantage of every legal means to maximize the value of their companies’ shares. With that, the expectation for an insurance company executive to surrender successful and legal, however immoral, measures is like asking a shark to be vegetarian. It’s not going to happen because it’s a quality outside of the being’s DNA.
So, while I fully submit destroying the health insurance industry as we know it, this article is barking up the wrong tree for reform.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:08 pmThe problem inherent in the private health insurance industry, being controlled by bean counters rather than physicians, is that the people who most desperately need coverage are the people who are least likely to
August 6th, 2009 at 7:30 pma) have their medical treatments be approved for coverage by their HMO, or
b) be accepted into an insurance program.
testing
August 7th, 2009 at 12:04 am