That, indeed, is the best caption! LMAO

Sorry about the mumbo jumbo at the first of this article.  Seems wow thought it might be a spam.  First time I have ever ‘copy and paste.’  Will try to do better next time.

Read this in the Spokane Review:

Amy Goodman: Dark side of health insurance Amy Goodman
The Spokesman-Review

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Tags: Amy Goodman column syndicated columnists

Wendell Potter is the health-insurance industry’s worst nightmare. He’s a whistle-blower. Potter, the former chief spokesperson for insurance giant CIGNA, recently testified before Congress, “I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick – all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors.”

Potter was deeply involved in CIGNA and industrywide strategies for maintaining their profitable grip on U.S. health care. He told me: “The thing they fear most is a single-payer plan. They fear even the public insurance option being proposed; they’ll pull out all the stops they can to defeat that to try to scare people into thinking that embracing a public health-insurance option would lead down the slippery slope toward socialism … putting a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor. They’ve used those talking points for years, and they’ve always worked.”

In 2007, CIGNA denied a California teenager, Nataline Sarkisyan, coverage for a liver transplant. Her family went to the media. The California Nurses Association joined in. Under mounting pressure, CIGNA finally granted coverage for the procedure. But it was too late. Two hours later, Nataline died.

While visiting family in Tennessee, Potter stopped at a “medical expedition” in Wise, Va. People drove hours for free care from temporary clinics set up in animal stalls at the local fairground. Potter told me that weeks later, flying on a CIGNA corporate jet with the CEO: “I realized that someone’s premiums were helping me to travel that way … paying for my lunch on gold-trimmed china. I thought about those men and women I had seen in Wise County … not having any idea (how) insurance executives lived.” He decided he couldn’t be an industry PR hack anymore.

Insurance executives and their Wall Street investors are addicted to massive profits and double-digit annual rate increases. To squeeze more profit, Potter says, if a person makes a major claim for coverage, the insurer will often scrutinize the person’s original application, looking for any error that would allow it to cancel the policy. Likewise, if a small company’s employees make too many claims, the insurer, Potter says, “very likely will jack up the rates so much that your employer has no alternative but to leave you and your co-workers without insurance.”

This week, as the House and Senate introduced their health care bills, Potter warns, “One thing to remember is that the health-insurance industry has been anticipating this debate on health care for many years … they’ve been positioning themselves to get very close to influential members of Congress in both parties.” Montana Sen. Max Baucus chairs the Senate Finance Committee, key for health care reform. Potter went on, “(T)he insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry and others in health care have donated … millions of dollars to his campaigns over the past few years. But aside from money, it’s relationships that count; … the insurance industry has hired scores and scores of lobbyists, many of whom have worked for members of Congress, and some who are former members of Congress.”

The insurance industry and other health care interests are lobbying hard against a government-sponsored, nonprofit, public health-insurance option, spending, according to the Washington Post, up to $1.4 million per day to sway Congress and public opinion.

Don’t be fooled. Profit-driven insurance-claim denials actually kill people, and Wendell Potter knows where the bodies are buried. His whistle-blowing may be just what’s needed to dump what’s sick in our health care system.

Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 750 stations in North America. Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.

 

Makes one stop and think!

EKA - I agree with you.  Levi is a young, foolish boy in over his head with the money grubbing tabloids.  Sarah Palin is an adult and should have thought twice about publicly calling her grandchild’s father a liar.  Regards of what this inexperienced young man does, he is the father of that child.  It would have been of benefit to both sides if Sarah had went to talk to Levi and explain what grief his actions are causing the family.  To throw words around so publicly is something neither one will be able to take back.

Kelly In Texas  -

1st quote - "Both Clinton and Bush had higher approval ratings at this time in their Presidency".  Where would this information come from but a poll.

2nd quote - "Polls are skewed as are the questions.  It all depends on who was asked, where they were asked, at what time they were asked and in what form were they asked.  Polls are unrelyable".  This I totally agree with and would never have made the statement from your 1st quote.

And you are right - it was a ‘pity observation’.  A pity that people say one thing in a post and totally reverse it in another without even realizing that they are doing it. 

Kelly In Texas  - I do agree with you on one point.  Polls are unreliable and, like statistics, can be made to be lean either way.  I  hope that you realize acknowledging that you understand this fact, you still did not hestitate to use a poll to make your point.  Makes me realize you will say anything to get your point across.  Might want to ponder on that a moment or two.

Diana - you hit the nail right on the head.  I was very excited about this website at first.  But the election b.s. and as you say - ‘fear, anger, fear, anger’ - really turned me off.  Now I just skim the pages every so often to see what’s going on but rarely participate.  I didn’t realize women could be so hateful to each other (which I chalk up to the fear, anger attitude).  But to the subject - I think that Rachel is a breath of fresh air.  Young, intelligent, and kinder hearted than most.  I watch her as often as I can.

Two nuns are driving in Transylvania when a huge bat lands their windshield. The passenger nun starts screaming, “Do something to get it off!” The driving nun turns the windshield wipers on but the bat just hangs on. The passenger nun screams “Use the windshield washer - it has holy water in it!” The driving nun squirts the bat but it just screams and hangs on. The passenger nun screams, “Show it your cross, show it your cross!” So the driving nun leans out her window and yells “Get the f—- off my windshield!”

Dona - guess we were raised by people that believe diversity was a wonderful thing - not a reason to hate or disrespect someone with different ideas. I learn more from people that have a different opinion than I do from people that agree with me. Anyway - enough said. Still love the site and most of the responses to the articles. Like questions like this one that make you stop and think about your life and how you do things. Find out we are all more alike than we would probably like to admit :)

Dona - I still check in almost every night - the discussions were starting to depress me - waaay to much hatred spewing back and forth, even slopping over into the fun articles. Can’t wait for this election to be over so we can TRY and regain some of our sanity. I have noticed that you have been helding your own LMAO! You must have thicker skin than I do :) I’ve just been skipping around the articles reading some of the fun answers.

Because of the twins, everyone in the family has dug in their closets and found all the Disney tapes - then I had to scramble to find a VCR. It has been wonderful watching all the classics - and once people found out that I had a VCR they have donated old cartoons they had for their kids. I must have a collection of atleast 50. The boys are lucky because if I had to buy these in DVD they would probably only have two or three. (Have to admit rewinding is a bitch now LOL)

The thing that I have noticed the most is that people do not comment on my outfits as much as they use to. I have always been a tomboy and right now am wearing bib coveralls and a long john shirt. When I was younger everyone tried to “pretty me up” and now they just let me be me. If it takes a few wrinkles to let others be comfortable with who I am - then thank god for my crows feet and laugh lines.

“Wow, you dont look your age!” Does this mean when I DO look my age it is going to be an awful thing? And what is wrong with looking my age? I worked hard to get here - I don’t mind if I look my age.

Whoopi - I am smiling because that was my thought when I read the question. At sixty two I still haven’t arrived. But have always been told that it is the journey that is most interesting. Just hope we both end up where we are suppose to be LOL.

I sometimes think that our government is criminal but I have never thought of leaving for some other country. We are a country ‘of the people’. While our government, at any given time, may be horrible - I believe in the American spirit and feel that we can recover from just about anything because we live with the idea of what America can be. I still get shivers down my spine when I salute the flag, hear God Bless America, even while I howl at night about how far we have fallen short of the American Dream. It is kind of like raising a troubled teenager. While you rant and rave, veto and punish, you still see the good and hope that it will prevail.