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The slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomson last week in Manhattan once again brought to surface dissatisfaction with the USA healthcare system.
Having personally been a sufferer, the assassins inscription on the bullets ‘depose, deny and delay’ resonates very close to home. That is in no way to condone the method the CEO unfortunately was subjected to, the incident however exposed ‘corporate greed’ in healthcare industry!! And Wendell Potter, a former Cigna executive has clearly articulated that in the article.
My own perils with Cigna were painfully evident when our (my wife and myself) medical expenses (on account of emergency hospitalizations while visiting the USA last year), on the upwards of US 40 grand were almost being subjected to the above 3 words - depose, deny and delay!! Our hospital admissions were through the emergency doors for which there are distinct policy implications/dispensation which Cigna chose to ignore relentlessly for seven plus months till a rightful intervention from UNHLI made Cigna eat the dust and took the responsibility of settling two hospitals’ invoices.
As a Cigna subscriber we need to familiarize ourselves the extent of our responsibilities and entitlements when it comes to medical treatment. There will always be attempts to ‘depose, deny and delay’ by Cigna with the hope that sixty/seventy pluses at some point would forget and give up! Only rigorous follow up can thwart such cynical attempts.
Never give up if you are on the right track.
Sharif
Summary
Wendell Potter, a former Cigna executive, argues that the health insurance industry prioritizes profits over patient care.He criticizes the industry's practices of lobbying, deceptive PR, and high-deductible health plans.
He suggests that the recent killing of a UnitedHealthcare CEO highlights the industry's ruthlessness and the public's growing dissatisfaction. Potter highlights the excessive spending on lobbying, PR campaigns, and charitable donations to maintain a positive image and influence policymakers. He calls for increased scrutiny of the industry and policies that prioritize patient needs.
Line 8 - I believe you meant "no way to condone"
ReplyDeleteI am in a similar situation of exorbitant hospital charges (- like over $ 2,000 per day for the electronic bed which disturbs rather than sooths the patient). CIGNA and ASHI have warned me that US medical costs are very high, and CIGNA has tried its best to explain their limitation due to the contract I have. I was told by a lawyer that I might need a Miami lawyer to reduce the bill, but in any case it is worrisome.
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