What are we thinking when we read articles such as the July 9 article by Kevin Sack in the New York Times which considers the high risk pool health insurance proposed by John McCain? Getting lost in details, I read about high risk pools, where individuals are assigned to their own special lepers' island based on their health history or their risk.
I anticipate a shake-up, as the article leads me to consider the differences between McCain and Obama. I figure someone is taking care of this as I read about the lessons learned from states with high risk pools that over the last few years have funded themselves by raising co payments, deductibles and premiums, by raising out of pocket maximums and that have lowered life-time caps on payments.
I keep reading and read that these insurance plans have also extended the waiting period for coverages of pre existing conditions (refer to article in New York Times, July 9, 2008 by Kevin Sack). I finish reading and go on to the next article without paying attention to the fact that this article and others like it are not helpful.
We will never directly influence the Presidential candidates. That's what this is all about, right? States are dealing with health insurance, it's their agenda where our political options lie. So why does the media ignore the fact that the federal government is a RESPONDER...our health system fell apart POLITICALLY one state at a time?
Of course, health insurance companies are nation and even worldwide. But these companies are licensed to do business by each STATE. That's where our local politics failed each and every citizen. The corporate influence on gaining federal legislation to enable health insurers to fleece the American people that was PERMITTED by each state. We are not politically savvy, we didn't take our role in the process seriously enough to prevent this problem. And the media should be naming names...WHO worked tirelessly to enact a health care TAX in MASSACHUSETTS? Who decided that INSURANCE COMPANIES could also be considered FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS so that they make money by handling your banking from your Health Savings Account? WHO okayed endless increases in health services costs without ever demanding fiscal responsibility from those providers including PUBLICATION of their expenses in a form understandable to the American people. WHY don't we know the truth about AHIP (the biggest insurance company lobbyist) and the AMA (the doctor lobbyist) and their AGENDAS in getting laws passed that have created our current health services environment? Instead, our reporters tell us about the wish list of the upcoming candidates. Ridiculous.
So if we are smarter, what can we do? Start learning about your STATE. We know that our government, its waste, its failures and its maneuvers start at the local level. Each of us must deal with our own representatives and remember our own agenda....affordable accessible quality health services. I don't care if that goal is reached through insurance companies, but since our current system uses the business of insurance to help individuals pay for medical services, I want MY representatives to mandate that those companies provide help in paying for needed medical services.
We are the employers of these companies, we pay their bills and we are being ripped off. I don't want a "free" cholesterol check of a couple of hundred bucks when the number of cancer physicians who "participate" in my plan is small to nil. I don't want an annual checkup if I cannot afford to treat the ailments uncovered by such an exam.
As consumers we need to step up the game and deal with the tedious business of local politics. What are your representatives doing for your state in the area of health services? How are they remembering that their salaries, the salaries of health services providers and the salaries of health insurers is being paid for by us? We've made a bad deal and each of us is responsible for doing something.
Being relentless takes commitment. Doctors who just got their pay protected (by the House and the Senate will follow, on the federal level for the federal health insurance plan Medicare) THREATENED their way to success by giving the ultimatum that they would have to turn away Medicare patients IF they didn't get what they want. In addition to their lobbying, they knew the value of the American people, they knew that pressure from citizens would help their cause. They also knew that the truth of saying we want more money was not the answer. Instead, they couched it in terms of how much they care for YOU, the potential patient. They couched it in terms of FEAR, what would you do if you were turned away? And they lured you with the promise of points. POINTS? There's a consumer website called mypoints. You fill out surveys, click on ads and gain points that can be traded in for gift cards from retailers. Guess what, the AMA bought in and has an online petition, 5 points for clicking on it, but 500 for sending the petition to Congress. Sign here to get Congress to protect our pay clause. If you click on the ad (and petition) you get some points and if you say pay the doctors more, you get more points. After all, what does it cost you to tell the Feds to pay dox more under Medicare? (Think about that before answering.)
And look yippee you get 500 points!
If you click on the petition, send your Congressman a separate note and tell him you just wanted the points. Consumers need to get smarter, write to your representatives and stop thinking that because THIS year your plan is working that next year you will be exempt from the grasping hands of health insurers and health services providers.
