So, about those cancellation letters...
By THP Danielle
Surprise, surprise... Insurance companies are trying to cheat customers out of more money. Since the start of Obamacare, we've heard various reports of companies canceling insurance policies, and charging customers hundreds of dollars more each month to continue coverage. Well, it turns out that many of those cancellation letters were misleading, and failed to mention that customers could find better policies at lower prices on a healthcare exchange.
A special report by Talking Points Memo found specific examples of insurance companies contacting people before the October 1st start date, and trying to lock them in to higher priced plans than they could find on an exchange. The companies warned customers that their plans were being canceled and offered them new, higher-priced plans, but made no mention of healthcare exchanges, or subsidies that people could qualify for under Obamacare. One of the women interviewed by TPM would have had to pay more than $1,000 a month for the new plan offered by her insurance company, and it offered bare minimum coverage with a $6,300 deductible. After logging on to her state's insurance exchange, the Seattle resident found a plan for $80 dollars a month with a $250 dollar deductible.
When TPM asked her insurance company why they were using such deceptive methods, a spokesman just said that customers know they have other options. Although it's not clear how many of the cancellation letters being received throughout our country are a result of the same dishonest tactics, it's likely that many other companies are pulling the same scam. These cancellations aren't because of Obamacare, they are simply insurance companies trying to rip off more people while they still have a chance.
This is the exact reason why we needed the healthcare law to begin with. Insurance companies will always put corporate greed over people's health and wallets. And, that's the reason why we should continue to push for single payer, Medicare for all, and get the profit out of our healthcare.
Comments
#2
I don't remember windows being so awful, but I do remember that all they were doing was trying to catch up to the Mac. Bill GAtes obviously did more things right than he did wrong, and he certainly had competition every step of the way.
All I can say is that if you can defend the first 6 weeks of the Obamacare website, then you and I will never agree on anything. And I think it is safe to say that 99% of the electorate in this country will agree with me to say that the website roll out was an abismal failure, and we have every right to expect better service from our eleted officials (that we pay with our tax dollars) in a situation like this.
The electorate will vote on Obamacare in about a year. If that election were tomorrow, there would be a whole bunch House and Senate Democrats that would be in real trouble. Can Obama limit the damage enough for the Dems to keep control of the Senate? The only thing we know for sure is that time will tell the story on that one.
#3
Chuckle8 writes: IG -- I just heard about some recent history that identifies the repugs in congress are the ones who should be put out of business. Kathleen Sebillius was begging the repug controlled congress for more funding for the ACA software so it would be tolerably operable software. The repugs refused and now are rejoicing over the failures of software.
On a related matter, Media Matters today points out all the phony guests that Faux News, especially Hannity, has on about the more expensive less quality insurance the have to buy with Obamacare. It turns out the guests have not even tried the exchanges. 24 hours later each of Hannity guests discover that they can buy better insurance cheaper.
Reply: Sorry I don't believe point one, If Ms. Sebillius was really in that position, she would have been sounding that alarm all September, warning the the website roll out would be a disaster and put the blame on the "repugs". I certainly heard no such comments, and I have not heard the comments you talk about here either. In any event, bringing that out in November is too late, if that was really true we should have heard about it sooner.
Point two, you can't use anything that comes up on "Faux" news or PMS-NBC. They both lie and mis represent the truth. You don't see me quoting "Faux" news ever, do you? Sean Hannity and Rachael Maddow both lie, so what's your point?
#4
Mauiman says "you can't use anything that comes up on 'Faux' news or PMS-NBC. They both lie and misrepresent the truth. You don't see me quoting 'Faux' news ever, do you? Sean Hannity and Rachael Maddow both lie..." This statement exemplifies the reason I can't take your comments very seriously, Mauiman. First of all, anyone who would put Rachael Maddow in the same "liar" category as Sean Hannity is simply out-of-touch. Rachel Maddow happens to be a Rhodes scholar, extremely well educated, and (unlike Hannity) one who bothers to learn the facts before editorializing on an issue. Secondly, to characterize Maddow's station as "PMS-NBC" is patently sexist, condescending and, quite frankly, reflects on you way more than the one you are dissing.
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
JA
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
#5
Here we go again... more gobbildygook! Goddam computers...
#6
IG -- How can you not remember Windows 3.1 etc providing all those blue screens? If you can't remember that I suppose you are not even aware of microsoft committing perjury. They showed a doctored version of a "film" in court illustrating how the operating system and their applications could not be split up. Clinton was heavy on the trail of convicting them of violating anti-trust laws. Dubya was elected and said we will not go after microsoft anymore. A few months later the Germans went after them on the same charge. The Germans fined them several 100 millions and collected.
I was not defending the Obamacare website. I was establishing who was to blame. The only defense I gave was that the testing approach (everybody complaing about i.e. finding the "bugs") may have been the most cost effective way.
If you think time and not the billions of dollars from Pete Peterson, the Kochs, etc, is going to tell the story, you may be right that we will never agree on anything.
#7
AIW -- Are you using a windows operating system and proving my point about bad software selling?
#8
"Chuckle", I'm using a Mac. But hey, it's all techie crap. It has its benefits but it's still a pain.
#9
White house.gov petition thresholds are high now due to the secessionists. SO when you see a petition from that site, you need to think - Is what is being proposed in this petition more important to me than secession is to these other people? Who hasn't thought of secession? Who wants to keep living with people who are radically going in the opposite direction that you are? But our constitution as flawed as it is makes it possible. As long as we stamp out bullying, in all it's forms.
Now many people are in the situation that I am. I live in a "red state". I make so little that healthcare.gov says I qualify for medicaid. But my state will not expand to cover us.
What is to happen with that money that was for the states? Shouldn't we find a way to get that money to the patients who need it? And shouldn't we try to further the cause of EVERYONE getting medicare? IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL?
Shouldn't we remind the President that he shut us down with our dreams of Single Payer before the conversation even got started? To side with the Insurance companies, only to have them make him into a LIAR now?
http://whitehouse.gov/lZsEZ copy this message to your friends when you share this link.
#10
Ms. Green_TZM, you've got it all wrong. As a seasoned nurse (of 30+ years) pointed out recently, for-profit healthcare facilities don't like patients being called "patients" anymore. Now we're called "customers" or "consumers". Ain't that special. - AIW
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
At Mondragon - both the mountain and the cooperative city - in Spain (written about in "Threshold" book)
Mueller's favorite place to pray (written about in "Prophet's Way"), and the roof of the room where the Last Supper is reputed to have happened.
From Cracking the Code:
"Thom Hartmann ought to be bronzed. His new book sets off from the same high plane as the last and offers explicit tools and how-to advice that will allow you to see, hear, and feel propaganda when it's directed at you and use the same techniques to refute it. His book would make a deaf-mute a better communicator. I want him on my reading table every day, and if you try one of his books, so will you."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Right through the worst of the Bush years and into the present, Thom Hartmann has been one of the very few voices constantly willing to tell the truth. Rank him up there with Jon Stewart, Bill Moyers, and Paul Krugman for having the sheer persistent courage of his convictions."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Thom Hartmann seeks out interesting subjects from such disparate outposts of curiosity that you have to wonder whether or not he uncovered them or they selected him."
IG -- I just heard about some recent history that identifies the repugs in congress are the ones who should be put out of business. Kathleen Sebillius was begging the repug controlled congress for more funding for the ACA software so it would be tolerably operable software. The repugs refused and now are rejoicing over the failures of software.
On a related matter, Media Matters today points out all the phony guests that Faux News, especially Hannity, has on about the more expensive less quality insurance the have to buy with Obamacare. It turns out the guests have not even tried the exchanges. 24 hours later each of Hannity guests discover that they can buy better insurance cheaper.