Insurance companies say that they don't want to be forced to cover pre-existing conditions, but ...

[YewNork]

when the government says "OK, we'll create a publicly funded insurance plan that they could use", the insurance companies scream "NO! That's unfair." Then they start to spread half truths and outright lies to the people with insurance about how they'll have their choice taken away.

How about being fair to the people with the pre-existing conditions, many of whom did nothing to bring these conditions upon themselves?

[madaboutharry]

1. This is a good example of the failed system we have

in this country.

Welcome to DU.

[SidDithers]

2. One of the reasons why there should be single payer...

and not a mish-mash of public and private options, is that the insurance companies will discontinue coverage for sick clients, but keep the healthy ones. And where do the sick ones go? Onto the government plan - making it an expensive (to the tax payer) option for coverage.

Government controlled single payer gets the "benefit" of having both sick and healthy people in the pool.

Sid

[Orrex]

3. Clearly it's the patient's fault for having a pre-existing condition.

A responsible patient would remain healthy forever, thereby paying premiums in perpetuity without requiring the insurance company to pay for any pesky treatments.

[YewNork]

5. I'll tell that to my neighbor with Parkinson's Disease that it's his own fault.

[Orrex]

6. Exactly. If he'd been planning ahead, he wouldn't be such a selfish drain on the CEO's bonus.

[kdmorris]

7. Um.. I think that was sarcasm

At least, that's how I read it, not an actual belief that people should stay healthy forever or it's all their fault.

[ejpoeta]

4. they don't want to have to cover preexisting conditions... but they want to force us

to have to buy their insurance.

[YewNork]

8. Yessir.

[Ewellian]

15. I think their position is

that they would cover preexisting conditions if everyone had to have insurance. Otherwise no one would pay for insurance until they got sick.

[dipsydoodle]

9. If its a pre-existing condition

then you cannot call it insurance in the context of private insurance. The cost of covering a known event occuring would be prohibitive. For example am I right in believing that certain parts of FL can no longer get hurricane damage insurance ?

Government health scheme would differ because it would be "insuracce" in name only assuming it to be like our UK's NHS.

No - the private insurers are not being fair. We don't get that oddity here. NHS covers everything from conception to grave and private insurance companies don't cover conditions apparent before cover was issued.

[YewNork]

10. It's only a known event to the "new" insurance company.

In the US Insurance laws vary from state to state, there are usually different rules
for employer sponsored health insurance policies that prevent them dropping someone
because they become sick. In other words, if they want to insure that employer's
healthy employees, they have to take the sick ones too.

But people who don't have group health insurance, either because they're self employed,
unemployed, or because their employer doesn't offer it, fall into the individual
insurance market. That market has a whole other set of rules. They can drop you
if you start making too many claims or if you develop a medical condition that they
think will cost them too much.

A person could have been insured for his whole life, and if he suddenly finds himself
in the individual insurance market, then anything he already has will be viewed as
pre-existing by any new insurer. Again, it depends on the state, but in some states
it's a reality.

[dipsydoodle]

14. That's not what I meant

Our private insurance here differs from your's anyway. I meant a condition which existed when insurance was first taken out with a company. Thereafter it renews automatically and the rates are more or less just a function of age and level of cover. That encourages people to stay with the same company. We don't really need it anyway - just belt and braces as they say and suits those who want better in stay accomodation. By cover I mean which hospitals can be used for certain bands - there are a minor few which are in the top band only. Private insurance here does not cover treatement by doctors the vast majority of whom are contracted to do NHS work so that's all "free".

[kdmorris]

12. We can still get hurricane insurance

But we have to get it through the state of FL, instead of a private insurance company.

[Why Syzygy]

11. I don't know how they can get away with it.

It appears that they assume once someone has developed a condition, their only alternatives should be suffer and go to the grave or go bankrupt and then go to the grave.

They are immoral. I wish legislators would cut them off at the knees. Sweet justice.

[RC]

13. I think everyone is looking at this wrong.

What is the ultimate goal? Good health care for all, correct? Regardless of ability to pay or job status.
What is stopping us from achieving that goal? Private Health Insurance companies using our premiums to bribe our Representatives to see things their way.
Why are they doing so much to stop this? Greed, pure and simple.
Proper health care for all would cut heavily into the Junkets, bonuses, obscene salaries and golden/platinum parachutes and other high living perks of the board and upper management of the Health Insurance companies, Non-Profit and For-Profit alike. And don't forget the bribes they are paying to our Representatives going away also.

What we need in this country is a Health Care system that benefits all the citizens and not just those that can afford good health care.
How to do that? First thing is to investigate the Health Insurance companies under the RICO statutes. After their money is gone and the guilty are in prison, then we can get serous about health care for everyone.
Then what? We could then have Universal single payer health care paid for with the money that would now not be going for Junkets, bonuses, obscene salaries and golden/platinum parachutes and other high living perks of the board and upper management of the Health Insurance companies. And don't forget the bribes our Representatives would not be getting anymore either, making them more honest.
Time line? 10 to 20 years or more. At least our kids would benefit. It's going to be a long hard fight.