Government mandated Corporate Insurance IS Corporate Welfare! Say it out loud.

I just awoke into a nightmare where insurance corporations were on the receiving end of billions of dollars of government mandates. You know... WELFARE! Every citizen must pay into these corporations that pay out less than 50% for actual health care.

Now, I do pay for BC/BS - but I have a $5,000 deductible ... a 20% co-pay ... a guarantee that they will deny any claim (automatically) ... no preventive care ... no prescription coverage ... a yearly AND lifetime cap ... so naturally, I've never used it.

I go to a free clinic downtown. I actually used my deceased father's SSN and name last year when I had a skin lesion removed and tested. Yes, it's cancer; but, the slow-growing type. I now ask my friends to give to free-clinics instead of their normal charities. And yes, I do love/respect/honor my Doctor by giving as much as I can. She organizes free health clinics and does it from her heart. It's still not enough for someone who works hard and truly cares.

I've been told that I'm foolish for going "underground" for my medical care. But imagine what would happen if I went through BC/BS. First off, my affordable $330 a month insurance would skyrocket to well over $1000. Plus, I'd not be eligible for any other insurance policy - ever. The surgery and lab tests that cost me a donation ($500), would have cost many, many thousands of dollars. There would have been: physician charges, anesthesia charges, surgery room charges, technician charges, office charges, lab charges, lab tech charges, test reading charges and a whole lot more. At the free clinic, the angel physician said, "Oh, let's just cut that off right now and see what the lab says." No delays, only health care.

BC/BS has denied paying for all treatments since I turned 40 (9 years now). A couple years back I experienced a hernia. After 7 years of paying BC/BS, I was denied service as they called this a pre-existing condition! That time, I was lucky and I ended up negotiating with the hospital for my hernia surgery and paid $1,400 for everything. I was given a bill that totaled just over $14,000. I begged the manager in the billing department to accept everything that was in my checking account and they accepted it as payment in full. She joked that it was more than what the insurance company would have paid! So I have no love for Insurance.

After that, I signed-up and paid for supplemental insurance at work - but soon found out that it was pure scam. The agent told us that on cancer claims they immediately cut a check for $5,000 when you present them with proof (only a doctor's statement and lab tests). When I called the company to verify this and get all the details, I was told that it was not the case, the agent was mis-informed. That $5,000 was the death benefit when you die from job-related disease. All forms of cancer are excluded - it was an unfortunate misunderstanding, a misreading of the policy. So, I had spent $30 a week for two years and was grifted. Enough to be upset; not enough to get even.

Back to the main point.... We know that private insurance exists ONLY for profit. Why should we be forced to subsidize the wealthy? I know that BC/BS is non-profit; however, have you seen their fantastic offices...what they drive...their "to die for" salaries...the trips to resorts, etc...? What they don't pay out for health care (less than half,) goes directly into their pockets in bonuses, salaries and perks. There is no motivation for BC/BS to actually save lives.

The owner of Wellpoint, United Healthcare, etc. are the wealthiest people in the world. These stockholders and executives are wealthy beyond reason. The owners even pay lower taxes than you and I (capitol gains is how you win the tax game). And now we are putting on corporate welfare?!?

I will happily pay more to a public system. If I can strengthen Medicare (and our government and the public) with my $330 a month - please allow me. But no, Obama demands corporate welfare. I have lost faith. In the meantime, please donate to your local free health clinics and thank your physician for donating their time and talent (you might just inspire your physician to participate in these clinics - if they aren't already).

Let stop welfare for the rich. Medicare part "E" is the logical choice.

And thank you for putting your story here. I hope you also contribute it to the various places where these stories are being collected, and send it to your Representative and Senators as well.

:bounce:
rocktivity

AIG is an insurance company, remember. The insurance corporations want to be too big to fail too.
Us? We're too small to save.