U.S. Newswire: State of the Union 'Bush-Care' Is Junk Health Care Plan...

U.S. Newswire (press release)
State of the Union 'Bush-Care' Is Junk Health Care Plan, Widow & Consumer Groups Say
1/30/2006

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=60087

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The health plan that President Bush is expected to announce in Tuesday's State of the Union address, "isn't worth a dime because it allows insurance companies to sell junk policies that don't protect patients when they are sick," according to a widow whose husband was insured under the type of limited benefits policy being promoted by Bush, but owed a half million dollars in medical bills when he died from cancer.

The tragic story of Dana and Doug Christensen is part of a new online resource published by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) pointing out the skeletal benefits and new burdens under the "Bush Care" health proposals to be unveiled in tomorrow's State of the Union address. Visit FTCR's "Bush-Care" resource page at: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/healthcare/BushCare/

"What's the point of paying for health insurance and then when you need it, discovering the benefits you thought were promised and paid for just aren't there?" said Dana Christensen, a volunteer with FTCR who lives in Playa Del Rey, California. "Mega Life had told us that they would pay 80 percent of hospital costs and we would pay 20 percent. They didn't tell us that chemotherapy was capped at $1,000 a day. Doug's chemotherapy charges were as high as $18,000 a day. "

According to information already released from the white house, Bush-Care would "require patients to pay more for less health care," said FTCR by:

-- Expanding junk-benefit "association health plans," insurance policies that promise cheap, comprehensive coverage but don't cap the amount of money consumers pay out of pocket. The president's plan would remove association health plans from accountability to state consumer protection rules and courts.

-- Relying on health savings accounts, which promise lower monthly premiums but require patients to pay a lot more out of pocket before coverage kicks in. When patients bear a greater cost, they delay needed treatment and increase health costs in the long run.

-- Extending individual tax deductions for health care costs, a scheme to "let insurance companies and big pharma steal our money then give us a tax deduction to soften the blow," said FTCR.

Though the Christensens were insured with an association health plan, Dana was left with $450,000 in unpaid medical bills when her husband died of bone cancer. Their insurance had no limit on out of pocket costs for patients, unlike traditional health insurance or HMOs. It covered only a small portion of chemotherapy costs even though Dana was told they'd had full coverage. On his deathbed, Dana's husband Doug asked her to divorce him so she would not be responsible for the bills. She refused. Read the Christensens' story at: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/healthcare/st/?postId=5795

"I think President Bush is more concerned about the welfare of the insurance business than in quality health care for people like you and me," said Dana Christensen. "I wish he would sit down with me and let me tell him what happened to Doug before he promotes these plans."

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The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) is the nation's leading consumer watchdog group. For more information visit: http://www.ConsumerWatchdog.org

I have an elderly friend who was promised "Whoge (hugh)" savings on their drugs under the new drug plans,well
she lost 4 doctors who been treating her for 20 to 30 yrs. Now she has to deal with new doctors who may or may not look at her records. She finds herself paying more money for her meds. Also the drug store has hiked up the monthly price of her pills due to the new drug plans..wow,this scumbag bush needs to "get the hell out of our Whitehouse" along with the rest of the Crime Family..

I guess the only people who deserve health care is the 1% of the country that owns everything. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your kings and royalty. As long as the king and his best friends are healthy screw all of his men!

welcome to the DU :hi:

"Bush Care" that's a oxymoron. :puke:

care, losing insurance when you lose a job, or not being able to get insurance in the first place.

for the oligarchy, just as he has already done with the Medicare Prescription Drug Lord Benefit that is killing untold numbers of seniors and disabled people by denying us lifesaving drugs.

to Doug before he promotes these plans." Dana Christensen, referring to Bush . . .

he couldn't care less . . .

I always want to ask these folks who they voted for in the last elections and use it as an educational tool if needed.

Just to get a feel of why they voted for them and if they are getting what they thought they voted for. Many voted for the religious reasons and have not seen anything that will give them what they wanted. People are being robbed of their securities and yet are only concerned that "queers don't ruin their marriage" It drives me crazy!

:grr:

would get cancer and slowly die.And get NO treatment, just a bill he cannot pay.Let him FOR ONCE feel the pain of his own greed he so gleefuly lets other suffer for.

If nobody but the very rich can afford health care, those who rely on Social Security will not be able to see a doctor and hence die at a younger age, thus fixing the problem! Fucking brilliant!!!

... to kill off as many Americans as possible. :mad:

to trust him to "fix" the rest of the health care problem? Wait. Don't answer that.:scared:

This a privatization plan? No plan like that can pass after the Medicare D/Big Pharma debacle.

Unless you're sick.

I can tell you that the Christensen story is not the only one out there about those association health plans. When first in the business I repped a couple of these plans for a while-a short while.

I found that the "associations" are usually set up by blind corps owned by the insurance company they are supposed to be selling. And these are NOT the big name insurance companies, I found one that was actually run out of someone's garage!

Removing the oversight of insurance companies from the states would be the worst thing that he could possibly do to health care in the United States. If you can't sue a company for breach of contract, and the state can't threaten to remove it's license to practice in that state, what you basically have is a shark that can prey uncontrolled on the citizens of the nation.

If there ever where a solid reason for an email and snail mail, telephone campaign to your senators this is it. The small business is the foundation of our economy and they are the ones that these association policies prey on. They are also the ones that are susceptible to them, because they promise the moon for a low price. They sell policies that are not guaranteed issue, you have to usually pass a health exam, to qualify and if you were ever treated for something that you again need treatment for....well, lets just say that you should make sure your life insurance is current.

Not to seem alarmist, but this could end up ruining the better health insurance companies, and there ARE some good ones.