Tag: health policy

Make no mistake.  One of the central issues in this election is reforming a healthcare system that is designed to generate large profits for the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.  Blue Cross just provided more ammunition for why the parasitic insurance industry must be dismantled and destroyed, not given a seat at the table.

Blue Cross of California is asking physicians to violate confidentiality and report pre-existing conditions that new members may have omitted so their insurance coverage can be cancelled.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Citing an effort to hold down costs, health insurance giant Blue Cross wants doctors in California to report conditions it could use to cancel new patients’ medical coverage, it was reported Tuesday.

The state’s largest for-profit health insurer is sending physicians copies of health insurance applications filled out by new patients, along with a letter advising them that the company has a right to drop members who fail to disclose “material medical history,” the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site.

– Source

There are three factions in the war over health care in our country.  In one corner are the advocates of universal single-payer care, which is my favorite team and what all other developed countries provide their citizens.  It is simple, less-expensive, and more effective in delivering health care.  Any American who is proud that the quality of care in our country is on par with Cuba should have their head examined for termites.  Somehow, one of the poorest countries of the world, long hampered economically by a boycott from the United States, is able to provide care as good as we get in this country at a tiny fraction of the cost. Hip hip … um… hooray?  We have 47 million people without health insurance and medical care costs are more than double the costs in other developed countries. 

Universal health care has been branded as socialized medicine by the evolutionarily inept.  To appease those with small brains, even smaller hearts, and no functioning conscience, politicians have looked for bandaids to put on gunshot wounds.  Mandated coverage is the new trojan horse.  Make insurance companies cover people and make people buy their terrible products as the way to increase coverage and presumably give us better health outcomes.  Never mind that forcing people to buy insurance does not guarantee that insurance companies will pay the claims.