The state of our health care system has hit a new low in our country this month. For years now the health insurance industry has been allowed to grow unabated and amass substantial wealth at the expense of their subscribers. Individuals have been fighting their insurance companies since they started covering us under Nixon, but the bigger they got, the harder it was to fight for what was right and ethical. In extreme cases of what should be criminal negligence and in some instances, murder, our government has stepped in to help out people, but that day has come and gone....and California has taken the lead in the shameful capitulation of our representatives to the insurance industry.
From CBS News:
(AP) California regulators admitted Thursday that for more than a year they didn't even try to enforce a million-dollar fine against health insurer Anthem Blue Cross because it feared they would be outgunned in court.
In early 2007, the Department of Managed Health Care pledged to fine the state's largest insurer for "routinely rescinding health insurance policies in violation of state law."
But they never did.
The department's director, Cindy Ehnes, told The Associated Press on Thursday that, when it comes to rescissions, the agency has had success in forcing smaller insurers to reinstate illegally canceled policies and pay fines, but Blue Cross is too powerful to take on.
This case shows the industry that they can do whatever the please to their clients. If someone gets sick and the costs aren't good for their bottom line, they can drop that person and no one will do or say anything. What makes it worse is that this so-called regulatory agency in California is the only one of its kind, no other state will even give a facade that it is truly committed to regulating these evil giants.
What we need is true health care reform, and we need it quickly.....before companies like Blue Cross get to murder more and more of us by spreadsheet.
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