Insurance company executive refers to high-cost patients as ‘dogs.’
Insurance company executive refers to high-cost patients as ‘dogs.’
In the state of New York, insurers are legally prohibited from discriminating against individuals who submit large claims. So when Guardian, a major insurance company, was faced with the high-cost claims of 37 year-old muscular dystrophy patient Ian Pearl, it decided to cancel its entire line of coverage in the state of New York rather than pay for Pearl’s claims. In an e-mail obtained by The Washington Times, it was revealed that one executive at the company refers to patients like Pearl as “dogs” that the company can simply “get rid of”:
Legally barred from discriminating against individuals who submit large claims, the New York-based insurer simply canceled lines of coverage altogether in entire states to avoid paying high-cost claims like Mr. Pearl’s. In an e-mail, one Guardian Life Insurance Co. executive called high-cost patients such as Mr. Pearl “dogs” that the company could “get rid of.”
A federal court quickly ruled that the company’s actions were legal, so on Dec. 1, barring an order by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Pearl will lose his benefits.
The cost of Pearl’s annual treatment is approximately $1 million a year. The Pearl family is unable to receive the quality health care that Ian needs. “One-on-one skilled nursing is essential,” Mrs. Pearl said.
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Tell me again why we don’t need a single payer health care plan and why private insurance is good enough?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:44 amThis executive should have all his assets frozen , and then have the snot knocked out of him ; let’s see how he feels about suffering when no one will aid him ……
October 15th, 2009 at 11:44 amMy hope would be that come November 2010, people remember this kind of heartless, profit oriented practice which so many GOP and Democratic reps in Congress are fighting tooth and nail to protect on behalf of their corporate insurance company masters. How this sort of nauseating greed can be sanctioned by Washington lackeys is appalling.
October 15th, 2009 at 11:46 am“Bring the heat”:
http://pol.moveon.org/harryreid/
October 15th, 2009 at 11:47 amAmerica’s “public” healthcare plan (as it stands now, assuming you have a job and/or insurance):
Cancel your insurance after life-threatening illness strikes and they refuse to cover “non-basic” needs, rack up hundreds of thousands in medical bills.
If you survive, file bankruptcy.
Have a nice life, and keep looking up kids! (besides, “it can’t happen to me”, right?)
October 15th, 2009 at 11:51 amTo the GOP this is a great example of how well our health care system works.
Of course, to any decent human being, this is repugnant.
October 15th, 2009 at 11:52 amwelcome the “The Best Health Care On Earth®”
I think the problem is one of fundamental perspective. Those of us who seek universal coverage see health care as a need of society, and shared risk as an efficient means to fill that need.
Those who support the status quo see health care as a product that can be packaged to generate profit.
These two perspectives are incompatible. Guess which perspective would be held by people who would cancel lines of coverage in entire states in order to avoid paying a high claim from a single individual?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:52 amAmerica! You don’t want the gubmint deciding who gets health care! They will get in between you and your doctors and deny your coverage! We have to have the free market because they…would…never…
decide to cancel all policies that cost them too much?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:53 amDeath panel, anyone? A one executive death panel, to boot.
Why, pray tell, does this industry even exist?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:54 amIs this company’s actions surprising? Not with what we know these days…oh ya, good old capitalism!
Disgraceful…and…disgusting.
My best to Mr. Pearl.
October 15th, 2009 at 11:55 amIt is this story anong with the countless others like it that needs to be seen on the main stream media…yeh, I know, good luck huh?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:58 amThe United States of America, a country where its legal and profitable to treat citizens like animals
October 15th, 2009 at 11:58 amWait a minute, a “Federal court quickly ruled the insurance company’s actions were legal”. This really makes me angry. By their very ruling they have declared that the insurance company is out there to only make a profit SO WHY THE HELL BUY INSURANCE IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE COVERED?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:59 am…faced with the high-cost claims of 37 year-old muscular distrophy victim Ian Pearl, it decided to cancel its entire line of coverage in the state of New York…
– - This insurance company would have killed Stephen Hawking.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:01 pm37 year-old muscular distrophy victim Ian Pearl,
– - btw, TP, it’s dystrophy.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:02 pmIt’s a shame Karmic Retribution can only be doled out by the gods, and not by us mere mortals and our system of laws.
Because Guardian and the rest of the industry would get a serious cosmic smackdown.
You can guarantee that the person who made the decision to effectively cancel Mr. Pearl’s policy is not a person who would meet with Mr. Pearl face-to-face and explain why he’s being denied coverage and why Mr. Pearl is a “dog”.
Cowardice is the hallmark of the corporate titan.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:06 pmNews Fox, facts fly in the face of your statement making you look really ignorant.
The health care crisis is mostly about people with insurance as 90% of Americans do have insurance.
Try not to be so dumb when you post.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:08 pmDNFP,
I signed the petition and said,
“I’d worked my entire life until I got sick on the job. The insurance company spent millions to deny me (and my co-workers) coverage.
They won and none of us are covered and most of us can’t work, including myself. My family and I have no insurance.
We could have been treated for a fraction of what they spent to deny us care.
But being an insurance co. their main goal is to deny care, not provde it.
I trust you’ll do the right thing for the American people and push for a strong public option. Anything less is unacceptable.”
What I would have like to have said is: Harry Reid your a spineless p.o.s. Even your parents are ashamed of you. Get a spine and do what your supposed to – lead to real reform….
October 15th, 2009 at 12:09 pmTo me, an interesting twist here is that it’s The Washington Times that’s breaking this horrific story. The Times has long been a mouthpiece of the GOP-loving teabagging cancervatives, so for them to print this makes me think that maybe there’s hope here…
Nah….
October 15th, 2009 at 12:10 pmHow old are you? We are all political pawns when the insurance industry is paying politicians to keep thier profits.
Grow up.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:10 pmNews Fox says:
——————————————————————————–
Does Ian know he’s being used as a political pawn?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
By whom ?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:10 pmCompassionate Conservatism: You’re doing it wrong.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:12 pm15, Dang, I read the exact same thing at Real Clear Politics this morning by that toe sucker Dick Morris. Boy did he steal your stuff? That ornery coyote!
October 15th, 2009 at 12:16 pmI’m surprised Guardian – after cancelling this poor guy’s insurance – didn’t solicit him for pet insurance afterwards (after all, he’s a “dog”).
Just so they could cancel that, too, after earning interest on his premiums.
F***ing scumbags.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:17 pmThis is why health insurance, if it is to exist at all, MUST be a non-profit enterprise.
Actually, that is true of ALL “insurances.”
And that WOULD be ’socialism.’
So phukkin’ SUE ME!
October 15th, 2009 at 12:17 pmNews Fox says:
Does Ian know he’s being used as a political pawn?
– - Does News Fox know he’s being a water-carrying sycophant for a huge corporate lobby that doesn’t give a shit if his health care payments bankrupt him?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:17 pm25, Know what you mean hombre, market busted 10,000 the other day… there’s trouble a brewin’.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:17 pmFox News—-don’t you mean Fox Entertainment Network?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:17 pmFox is a network that promotes censorship, the dumbing down of America, and propaganda peddling, and the name Fox News is a joke, and a bad joke at that
The Democrats need to flood the airwaves with advertisements illustrating cases like this one. If the people who have health insurance really knew what was waiting for them if they ever need high cost care, they would be worried and be all for a Public Option that would be available for everyone, not just the uninsured. When was the last time you saw Medicare cancel a policy or refuse needed medical treatment?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:18 pmNews Fox says:
Obama’s going to make everybody pay for health insurance! And also give them free health insurance! It’s all in the finance commitee bill written by Republican senators, which makes it Obama’s fault!
You’re bringin’ some powerful stupid today, boy.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:19 pmtexasrick says:
It is this story anong with the countless others like it that needs to be seen on the main stream media…yeh, I know, good luck huh?
Unfortunately the only way the public will see things like this on the MSM is in paid for advertisements. The Conservative owned and controlled MSM isn’t going to volunteer this kind of news. But they will do it for profit.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:20 pmDid you not read the headline for this thread. This is happening across the nation in increasing numbers.
The ten percent without are costing as much as 50% of the rest of us because we are paying.
The two wars are yours to deal with. We said a long time ago that if when the time came for health care reform and other domestic issues to be addressed that you guys should not whine about the cost.
you came up with it for a war of choice and you will now come up with it for domestic issues.
Maybe if you weren’t such failures we wouldn’t be where we are now but that’s another story isn’t it.
Do you have any other 5th grade questions?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:21 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
1 million a year? This is where a part of the problem lies. That is absolutely ridiculous and unsustainable in any society I would think.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:21 pmaaronk’s here – I thought he was posting as news fox. Two trolls this incredibly dumb, what are the chances?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:22 pmBecause the insurance people DO have isn’t serving them effectively. For instance, Ian Pearl HAD insurance. How well did it serve him?
You’re not very bright, are you?
As John Stuart mill observed, “Not all conservatives are stupid. But all stupid people are conservative.”
October 15th, 2009 at 12:23 pmIt is awfully thoughtful of the health insurance industry to provide such shining examples of their idea of health care. And to do so while the bill is being debated.
It’s sort of like the Republicans. Just what new way can they find to come out and say…We Care! ?
Its that or they are a bunch of terrified, callous sociopaths going through Depends like gas through a funnel.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:24 pmaaronk says:
As a matter of fact we should shut down the entire industry.
Yes
October 15th, 2009 at 12:24 pmTypical overwrought hysteria in the guise of sarcasm.
That’s about the best we can expect to get out of aaronk, folks.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:25 pmNews Fox says:
Then why do we need “reform?” All of this time and money spent and wasted on debating “reform” for 10% of the population? We have 2 wars going on where people are dying and the economy is in the shitter.
And why is it so important to people like you that 10% of our population not have access to health care? I will be one of them in January when the COBRA subsidy runs out and I won’t be able to afford the COBRA premiums. I have worked all my life and been a productive citizen. I was laid off in March due to the crummy economy hand have little hope of finding another job because of my age. So, what did I do to deserve being in a position where if I get sick I will not be able to go see a doctor? Why don’t you care?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:26 pmAnd another thing, last night on MSNBC there was this repbulican congressman (I forget who) who said our healthcare system is fine. After all, his wife had breast cancer and she’s fine today.
Yeah, easy to recover when you have the Best Healthcare in the World right down the friggin hall from where you work. Where no treatment is denied, and they actually do all the test to find out what’s best for you – all at $500 a year.
All you republican As*holes – Go Fu)k Yourselves. May you all go to He*l and get a major beat down before you get there.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:26 pmrich, they are clones of a dog turd aaronk and fox nuz.
Just gonna take a sec to refute your flawed logic once again.
This is endemic, in other words not an isolated incident. It is industry wide abuse.
I know you don’t care but there are intelligent people who visit here. You just don’t happen to be one of them.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:27 pmI believe that under a ‘public option’ Mr Pearl’s expenses would be cut in half if not more due to the elimination of some middle costs in the new health care plans offered by Congress.. it’s a win win!
October 15th, 2009 at 12:28 pmRich H says:
aaronk’s here – I thought he was posting as news fox. Two trolls this incredibly dumb, what are the chances?
It’s easy. Just open two separate browser windows and you can be in two places at once.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:29 pm.
The Question NO ON WILL ASK CONGRESS:
WHY DON’T AMERICANS DESERVE AFFORDBLE HEALTH CARE?
.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:29 pmaaronk says:
A high level person in a company made a disgraceful comment….
Actually, the comment only helped to explain the level of greed and callousness behind the cancellation of ALL policies held by the company to get around not being able to discriminate.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:30 pmNews Fox says:
Bilbo Hussein Baggins says:
Wal Mart is ALWAYS hiring.
Not people who are 62 years old when they have their pick of younger people.
Why not answer my question. Why is it so important to you that I have no access to health care?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:30 pmNews Fox says:
When was the last time you saw Medicare cancel a policy or refuse needed medical treatment?
Just wait till obama’s done with them!
The cuts that Obama has proposed in Medicare have nothing to do with the actual care patients receive. You would know that if your IQ was high enough to allow you to research something before you open your stupid mouth. What is your IQ, BTW? I’m betting it’s in the room temperature range.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:33 pmThe trolls seem to think we care what they think. Odd.
Maybe they can expain why the free market has failed so badly.
I’m guessin they won’t dare because everyone knows it’s true and the health care situation is just one preposterous example.
Tell us trolls, where is the low costs that competition is supposed to bring in an unfettered free market?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:33 pmNews Fox says:
Not people who are 62 years old when they have their pick of younger people.
BS.
Not BS. Why should a company hire a 62 year old person when they have their choice of younger people?
Still not going to answer my question? COWARD.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:34 pmNews Fox says:
You libtards are experienced at trolling Think Progress because, uh… so there!
Powerful, powerful stupid.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:34 pmBilbo,
I’m sorry to read about your position. When we first became ill – and the state closed us down – Red Tagged and threw us out. We were offered COBRA, I don’t know how you could afford it at all. I sure couldn’t.
Luckily, there seems to be more people that care about their fellow citizens than those who don’t. However, with people like Reid in charge it’s going to take alot of effort to get real reform passed.
Best of luck in finding another position.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:35 pmA helpful hint to the trolly types.
If you move your computer into the bathroom, right by the toilet, the money you save on Depends means you will have more money for Cheetos and Red Bull and you won’t have that squishy feeling when you comment.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:35 pmNews Fox… should Ian Pearl receive care?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:36 pmaaronk says:
You know, the other night Chris Matthews said that we should put a C02 capsule in Rush Limbaugh’s mouth and blow him up. Can you believe that? We should pass legislation immidiately to terminate MSNBC, and possibly the entire news industry!
Then I guess you would advocate terminating mAnn Coulter too because she has wished numerous people to be dead. And this would also apply to the Pastor in Arizona who wished Obama dead, right?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:36 pmWal-Mart? I’d rather do without then stand in line at that hell hole.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:37 pmWalMart? Isn’t that the company that pays minimum wage and no benefits? Yup, gonna buy lots of health insurance there. Food and a place to live, not so much.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:37 pmWhy doesn’t one of the networks develop a reality show called “Race to the Bottom”?
News Faux will surely be a loyal viewer, cheering all the way.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:38 pmwe should put a C02 capsule in Rush Limbaugh’s mouth and blow him up.
Adding more gas to Rush is like peeing in the ocean.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:38 pmRich H says:
Bilbo,
I’m sorry to read about your position. When we first became ill – and the state closed us down – Red Tagged and threw us out. We were offered COBRA, I don’t know how you could afford it at all. I sure couldn’t.
Thanks to President Obama and the Democrats for passing the stimulus package. That package contained a clause where the government subsidizes 65% of your Cobra coverage. Unfortunately it only does so for 9 months and in January my 9 months is up. I can barely afford the 35% I pay and certainly will not be able to afford $600 a month when I will be forced to take early retirement in March when my extended unemployment benefits run out. Frankly I am scared to death. Right now I am working with my daughter to quit claim my house to her before this all happens. I would hate like hell to lose everything I have worked so hard for just because I get sick. But then, if I get sick, suicide is always an option.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pmBilbo, aaronk is trying to do sarcasm.
He’s not very good at it, mostly because sarcasm requires intelligence to be done well.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pmNews Fox says:
The cuts that Obama has proposed in Medicare have nothing to do with the actual care patients receive.
LOL! Suuuure it doesn’t!
As I said before, if you had the brain power you could research the subject to see what he is really proposing. But, I suspect if you had the brain power you wouldn’t do it anyway because you don’t want to let anything into your pea brain that might prove you are wrong.
Still not going to answer my question COWARD?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:42 pmbelaccifer lacca says:
News Fox… should Ian Pearl receive care?
Don’t waste your breath. If he’s too cowardly to answer the question I posed to him, he’s certainly not going to answer yours. He won’t answer because he really does think it’s fine that people like me and Ian are left to die because we can’t afford or can’t get health insurance. He has no conscience and he has no soul. I pity him.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:44 pmWell, since you pretend to know things the rest of us don’t, prove it or resign yourself to being a paid liar.
You think that just because you say something that it has weight? It doesn’t. Not among intelligent people. You need to go back to your peer group. I’m sure you’re an intellectual giant there.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:44 pmBilbo,
When I was offered Cobra it was somewhere around 1k a month – and for someone who was just “thrown” out of work there was no way to afford it.
I feel your pain. I’ve been working to get my mortgage redone. It might be working, I can’t really tell because they keep asking for the same things over and over – kind of like a stalling tactic.
I’ve been thinking of taking my name off the house and putting it in my son’s name. I’m not sure how – I’ve had varying advice.
Living with illness suc*s big time. I can tell you firsthand, but suicide’s not the way to go.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:47 pmDoes that answer your idiotic question, lacci?
No.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:48 pm-A federal court quickly ruled that the company’s actions were legal-
October 15th, 2009 at 12:48 pmI’d like to know what kind of argument was made before the Federal Court and what grounds the suit was based upon. I have no doubt that the insurance company has the right to withdraw from the State of New York, but to walk away from this policy because they made a bad deal has ‘bad faith’ written all over it. Sure, leave New York, but as long as he keeps his end of the contract up, he is entitled to have The Guardian keep up their end.
As for the comments of the executive of The Guardian, that is probably the mildest derogatory and least demeaning comment that insurance executives regularly make about their ‘customers.’ Any objections to doing away with their anti-trust exemptions? Any more objections to the public option? How about the single payer?
News Fox says:
Comprehension problems News Faux? This guy HAD insurance and they canceled him.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:48 pmThe Scarlet Pimpernel,
Having been to court on an insurance matter I can tell you the court will rule according to who pays them. In each case the court was paid by the insurance co.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:50 pmot, Have you noticed that Tyler Perry fella is everywhere?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:51 pmAgain, you are caught in your own paradox. Explain why with insurance companies being largly unregulated and in a free market economy these prices are so high?
See, you are just an idiot. You can’t win and you keep fighting. Sounds a lot like a mental accuity problem.
If you can’t address the cost in these terms then you have no voice in what is done about it. See the election in 08.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:54 pmNews Fox… I wonder, does $1 million a year in costs mean that Insurance companies are no longer bound by the contracts they signed?
October 15th, 2009 at 12:55 pmRich H says:
I’ve been thinking of taking my name off the house and putting it in my son’s name. I’m not sure how – I’ve had varying advice.
Living with illness suc*s big time. I can tell you firsthand, but suicide’s not the way to go.
I’m fortunate in that my daughter is a Bankruptcy Attorney so she knows how to do things like protecting my assets.
I’m in no way ill now, but at 62 there’s no guarantee that will continue. And if I have my choice of dying without access to health care or losing all my assets and then maybe dying anyway, I’ll choose suicide. Personally I’m not sure I want to live in the world we live in now. One where compassion and caring about your neighbor seem to have gone the way of the DoDo bird.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:55 pmaaronk, don’t you see the sad irony in your own comment? The insurance company let an entire state go without this insurance and you are showing false bravdo against a commentator.
tsk, tsk, tsk.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:56 pmSo news faux, from your point of view we should just let the 10% die and then that would solve our problem? You had better hope and pray that something horrible doesn’t happen to you or your family, because if it costs the insurance company you to much money, you will end up on your own.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:56 pm80, Fred please, I got a raging headache, don’t make it any worse by reminding me of that!
October 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pmNice to see/know that NEWS FOX is Dild0 O’Lielly …..
BTW
Get lost , you bald-headed pervert.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pmaaronk says
October 15th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
A high level person in a company made a disgraceful comment….we should shut down the entire company immidiately! As a matter of fact we should shut down the entire industry.
____________________________________________________________
You’re missing the point. But I’m sure that’s deliberate on your part — steering the battle to a straw man fits your agenda better.
Nobody is claiming that Guardian should be shut down “immidiately” (sic) because an executive there said something repugnant. Even though that’s objectionable, that remark didn’t hurt Ian Pearl nearly as much as losing his insurance because a greedy, bloodsucking, profit machine didn’t want to live up to their end of the bargain.
I wouldn’t even advocate shutting down Guardian. If they just decide to quit doing business everywhere somebody files a large claim, they’ll eventually shut themselves down. And when the people are given an affordable non-profit alternative, the bloodsuckers can either compete seriously or they can just be left to twist in the wind.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pmSo everyone has a “right to life”…except those whose medical treatments exceeds x-number of dollars per year. Keepin’ it classy, Faux, as usual.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pm25, More bad eco-nom-ic news.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:00 pmBilbo, hang in there. Even if this mess takes some more time to resolve you are at three and counting. Heck of a comment that the supposedly greatest nation in the world has so many people, hanging on by threads while they wait for something every other civilized nation has already dealt with.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:03 pmCongressman Grayson was right. As far as the insurance companies are concerned, people like Ian Pearl should just die quickly.
Private health insurance is a legalized protection racket.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:04 pmbelaccifer lacca said to News Fox:
You forgot:
October 15th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Please tell me that the same people who don’t think it’s a problem that people like Ian Pearl will most likely die without health care they can’t afford AREN’T the same people who will fight to their last breath to protect life in the womb, regardless of the cost.
Oh, wait…they ARE the same people??? WTF is wrong with them?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:12 pmNews Farce says:
According to your pitifully pathetic world, if people like Ian Pearl exceed a certain amount of healthcare insurance cost should just simply die off.
Now lets put in Pearls shoes for a moment to see how you feel:
Legally barred from discriminating against individuals who submit large claims, the New York-based insurer simply canceled lines of coverage altogether in entire states to avoid paying high-cost claims like Mr. News Fox’s. In an e-mail, one Guardian Life Insurance Co. executive called high-cost patients such as Mr. News Farce “dogs” that the company could “get rid of.”
What goes around comes around News Farce.
Tell us, how would you feel?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:14 pmNow lets put YOU (News Farce) in Pearls shoes for a moment to see how you feel: @94
October 15th, 2009 at 1:15 pmNews Fox says:
Obama’s going to make everybody pay for health insurance! And also give them free health insurance! It’s all in the finance commitee bill written by Republican senators, which makes it Obama’s fault!
October 15th, 2009 at 1:16 pmon the off chance that no one has pointed this out yet, how could President, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Obama both make you pay for AND give you insurance?And since when is President Obama responsible for the REPUBLICAN party?????? Seriously, do you even think about what you’re posting?
96…
He’s told what to think by screechmonkey central. How can you expect News Farce to think about what he’s posting when he’s in incapable of thinking on his own?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:18 pmNews Farce…
Awaiting your reply to 94…
October 15th, 2009 at 1:20 pmOff to work.
And News Farce,
I’m going to bookmark this thread so I can read your reply to 94 when I come back….
Are you game???
October 15th, 2009 at 1:22 pmOne million dollars a year for health care…
And how many billions of dollars did Guardian make in profits last year?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:51 pmSarah and the pubs were screaming about the creation of “Death Panels” as something that could happen, all the while they already were happening..kind of shows you the pubs are not the sharpest scalpels in the drawer… 1. They didn’t even know there were health insurance death panels. 2. They knew and bald faced lied anyway. Either choice is a loser.
October 15th, 2009 at 2:02 pmBasically they are saying “if I can’t have my way and cover only those who will guarantee obscene profits, I’ll take my ball and go elsewhere”
What if there were no elsewhere?
October 15th, 2009 at 2:31 pmMr Pearl will be dead soon, and his family will be bankrupt.
Gee thanks, Guardian Death Panel!
October 15th, 2009 at 2:45 pmThis kind of story rightfully makes reasonable people everywhere sick to their stomachs and more than a little angry.
This story is so patently un-American and so ghastly typical of the Christian-right GOP Corporatists who seem to run this country DESPITE an OVERWHELMING DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY on the hill.
30 GOP Senate Thugs recently voted FOR KBR and against a woman who had been GANG RAPED!
ALL of the GOP and several Blue Dog ConservaDems impede real health care reform happily lining their pockets with millions in insurance industry CASH while Americans die.
Harry Reid cowers pitifully and messes the floor like a hairless Chihuahua at the mere sight of a GOP Senator.
Rahm Emanuel STILL has a job (HOW! Is This Possible??) and as a result, The President has no conviction, no direction and worse still…the corporations run wild and the party of NO! actually looks like they are in charge and leading.
Call me a troll if you must. Reading this story makes me one truly pissed off Democrat today.
October 15th, 2009 at 2:57 pmImagine this, a country where your spouse of many years has Alzheimers but he lives in a clean, cheery safe place where he is visited each day by his wife. The wife does not have to divorce her beloved to get his healthcare and she doesn’t have to go bankrupt to pay. This is true, this is in England. America’s choices, divorce, state care which is not always the best or sell everything you own to care for your husband/wife.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:12 pm#104 Do I wish President Obama could say to “hell with you all, this is what we are doing.” Yes ! And why will it take 3 years to begin health reform ? Didn’t like LBJ but it took months NOT years for Medicare to start and I remember a family member paying $13.00 a month for it.
But corporations are bigger, with longer tenacles than in LBJ’s era. The Bush years gave them unlimited power hard to reclaim that for the American people.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:18 pmThis story reminds me of a chance meeting about 20 years ago. I was at a cocktail party where I only knew the hosts. So, I spent most of the evening talking to another guest, who didn’t know anyone, except her date. She was an executive with a well recognized insurance company. The more she drank, the more vocal she got. When referring to people who have been in bad accidents, she said, “it’s so much better if they die, so we don’t have to keep paying”. She said that a number of times, and of course, embarassed our hosts terribly.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:47 pmZooey says:
Mr Pearl will be dead soon, and his family will be bankrupt.
Gee thanks, Guardian Death Panel!
October 15th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Mission: Accomplished.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:59 pmaaronk says:
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A high level person in a company made a disgraceful comment….we should shut down the entire company immidiately!
I’ve noticed you have a habit of cherry-picking facts, aaronk, and always the least one. Because y’know, somehow I think you’d totally lose your case if you actually picked out the REAL reason people are saying the company should be shut down:
October 15th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
One million dollars a year in healthcare. Well, that’s because scum like Guardian control the market. I would think, in a government run system, such as Medicaide, his care would be much closer to 100k.
October 15th, 2009 at 4:48 pmThe cost of Pearl’s annual treatment is approximately $1 million a year
I would like to see how much of that $1M is waste. It seems like a rather ridiculous amount.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:27 pmMr.Duke says:
You know what’s ridiculous? Defending an insurance company that cancels WHOLE LINES of COVERAGE rather than live up to their promises…
You sure you wanna defend ‘em?
October 15th, 2009 at 7:40 pmFuxNews
Do you even realize how stupid and brainwashed you are? You pathetic piece of filth. You make maggots look like a higher lifeform
October 15th, 2009 at 9:16 pmIn the year ending 12/31/2008, Guardian’s net income was $437 million.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:28 pmI’m baaaaaaaack News Farce.
And I notice you STILL haven’t replied to 94.
Coward much?
October 15th, 2009 at 10:30 pmAll racist comments are being flagged as of now.
October 16th, 2009 at 12:31 amMr.Duke says:
The cost of Pearl’s annual treatment is approximately $1 million a year
I would like to see how much of that $1M is waste. It seems like a rather ridiculous amount.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
What if that was your child?
October 16th, 2009 at 12:58 amZooey says:
Mr.Duke says:
The cost of Pearl’s annual treatment is approximately $1 million a year
I would like to see how much of that $1M is waste. It seems like a rather ridiculous amount.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
What if that was your child?
Very good point.
The problem is that your chances of getting a reply in relation to your question from David Duke is equal to my chances of News Farce replying to my post in 94.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:50 am*crickets* ^
October 16th, 2009 at 1:51 amMy name is Matthew Pearl. This story is about Ian Pearl, my brother. First of all, thanks to ThinkProgress for getting the story out. The media is starting to pay attention because of the article, Keith Olbermann and blogs like this. But we need more. We need grassroots outrage that they can do this to someone like Ian–and thus to a member of any of our families. We need Health and Human Services to act. The laws are set up to make it almost impossible for private citizens to rectify this kind of malicious and obscene behavior by an insurance company. We even have had an insurance company executive (from a different insurer) tell us how appalled he is.
I have just started a Facebook group about this. Please join and see how you can help:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=156839511657
I’ve compiled a list of contact information for Guardian. I am now trying to compile the best list I can for the people in government–including Secretary Sebelius of HHS–who need to act.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:46 pmThe floor should be set by the government to not allow a race to the bottom. lazer epilasyon
October 21st, 2009 at 5:53 am