Insured can't get help either

That's America's dirty little secret; even many people WITH insurance don't get much better care than those without (unless you're in Congress) because the aim of the insurance game is to TAKE your money and pay as little out as possible. It's a FOR PROFIT business. If people were smart, they would stop paying for insurance and set up an MSA (medical savings account) for their own families. If everyone in a family banded togther and contributed "x" amount of their income to the family MSA (which is invested in value or growth vehicles with little risk), and if we did it in ever increasing numbers, we could put these robber barrons out of business.

My first suggestion is to get her a new doctor that will fight for her. Hospitals don't mistreat patients unless doctor's allow it. Is there any way to get her to Sloan Kettering? If so call and badger them into taking her. There are ways to get treatment outside of her insurance company. God, how I wish Medicare was expanded to take care of everyone.

barkway-- sadly that won't help now-- besides it is completely unrealistic for middle income and poor families to set aside anywhere near enough money- one month of cancer treatment is tens of thousands of dollars. have you seen the stock markey lately? besides which you risk losing it.

marilyn, thanks- we are having her current doc call the treatment center in philly to beg a professional courtesy. she has already been at sloan in a clinical trial and they basically said since she is out of the study they cannot do anything for her. we are looking at a more integrative approach since straight medical docs are unable to think about her as a whole human.

Twodee, I was going to do that too. Glad you beat me to it. I included this link to in a post on daily kos, and am sending one to Healthcare-Now! as well as contacts at Physicians for a National Health Program, California Nurses' Association, and the Clinton campaign. Our hearts go out to you, your sister and loved ones. P.S. Last time I looked (before the recent downturn) United Health Group Insurer was up 900% over the Dow average, and people from the Bush (Gail Wilensky) and Clinton (Donna Shalala) administrations were cashing out millions. A few bad cliches come to mind (naked emperor, elephant, whatever). We're fighting for you.

My heart goes out to everyone who is struggling with this... I have a student who has health problems, as does her daughter, and they have to decide between going to the doctor or eating. It's sad that our country isn't taking of people.

Since you're from New Mexico, do you know what happened with Bill Richardson's state health care plan. Wasn't he trying to do universal health care in the state?

Thank you Spoon! Thank you all. We are getting such wonderful e-mails and responses.

I have multiple disabilities and health insurance. The insurance company fights me for every type of care I need or receive. Especially Ambulance rides when someone else forces me to go to an ER, because I can't respond yet again to tell them that the ER will refuse to treat me. I fall a lot and paralyze, but ERs aren't willing to give me treatment for my condition so they usually just kick me out as soon as possible.

Recently my health insurance forced my doctor to take me off all my medications for my conditions.

I am deeply upset with health care and health insurance.

Time for Great Changes for all American, Changes are a free market!

We need a system that profits off of someones health, not sickness. My heart goes out to you and your family. I wish I had a good answer to your question.

How about doctors, nurses, P.A.'s, technicians, CNA's etc. being paid (extremely well) based on things such as: how much education they've completed; if they work evenings, weekends or holidays, how many years they've practiced; the difficulty of their caseload, etc....rather than based upon how much health care they provide or deny?? Provider quality would sort itself out if every consumer had access to every provider equally (including at the same rate of compensation.).

Bureaucrats push paper or e-mails,, lawyers push for a good or for the bad of the clients.
Doctors are willing to offer great options,the insurance
companies are magaging cost that effects health-care.

Insurance companies are not managing costs. They are escalating costs beyond anything within reason. Health insurer CEO's make our oil barons, pharmaceutical and military-industrial giants (think Halliburton) look like chump changers.

A note from Canada.

Over the holidays I had a lump in my neck, there was no clear reason for it and no diagnosis from a GP after blood tests were completed. (Not my GP, I was in another province) Atypical bacteria was his best guess.



He immediately sent me for a CT scan. I had to drive roughly an hour, but the scan was done the same day. The results were sent to the doctor, who prescribed medication.



Since then I?ve seen a second GP, had another round of tests and been to an E.N.T. specialist.



Total cost to me $0.00



I"ve paid a few bucks for prescription medication (total less than $10.00 due to ins. through my job.)


BTW this did not take place in a major center. Here are the towns.

Plaster Rock New Brunswick - initial GP visit and blood work.

Edmundston New Brunswick - CT scan

Fergus, Ontario. More blood work.

Guelph Ontario F/U CT scan.

Check them out... not large cities.


My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer late. They did a radical mastectomy? rounds upon rounds of chemo, and reconstructive surgery. That was just over 5 years ago.


Total cost to her $0.00


Neither of us have private health insurance.

Canada has its own health care problems, but here are just a couple of stories. The reality is the USA is a great place. I know some wonderful people from the States. One thing I?ve never understood is how a country with such wealth, can allow business to determine who gets to have access to the care they need. I get that if you?re talking to a mechanic about a car, not a hospital about people.



This is part of the reason many in the world the world looks down on the United States of America corp. Not the people who live within your borders, rather the way the people who live within the borders are treated by the ?free market?.


If you have the cash, anything is possible. If you do not, you are at risk of getting your heart ripped out by the free market any second.


My heart, prayers and positive thoughts go out to you and your family. The bastards who are putting you through this deserve so much less than they have.



To those of you who are going to vote in your next general election, please make this an issue. You?re nation needs your voice.

Insurance companies manage costs before healthcare:therefore they stop payments/treatments....

1st the Doctor and the people being treated should make the choice, not the insurance companies.

Wow man this is a really sad testimonial.

Personally I think you should include the name of the insurance company and the name of the hospitals. Bad publicity tends to grease the wheels.

One of the guys in the Sicko documentary told his insurance company that he was contacting Michael Moore about the crappy treatment he was getting. Suddenly they figured out how to help him. You never know.

I am guessing you are leaving out the names as a way of protecting your sister from retaliation but it doesn't sound like they could do much worse. Exposure also tends to get wheels moving that were much more comfortable not moving while they were behind the curtain.

No hospital should be allowed to refuse insurance from a patient whose life is in jeopardy just like they shouldn't be refusing life and death injuries that walk in the door. You should definitely expose them.

stopnoise, Don't be ridiculous. In fact it wouldn't hurt a thing if you removed that post.

twodee, I heard you on Sam Sedar today. You did a great job. Bless you.

Dear Debrianna Thank you for leting me know about this piece. I am very upset becuase this is the true not just for your sister but for many many people. I do wish you good luck. I wish I can help with more that my personal support. I can not afford health insure either

Every candidate for President should see this video in the California debates and have to answer twodee - what are they supposed to do? My heart goes out to your family. -zen

Go back and read it.

At the moment we are giving the hospital the oppurtunity to respond. The priority is that she gets the treatment/care that is needed. We are also reaching out to every community we can with hope the right combination will come along. Thank you all again for your thoughts. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Marylinn, I am glad you heard the radio show today. that was about a 2 hour wait on the phone to get in but well worth being heard.

Great idea Plisco
I think you should contact your Insurance company with a threat to contact Michael Moore...
it seems to work when you use threats...

Sickening. Who are those deluded fools that shout "America #1!"? We need to seriously change the system.

i have managed to get the insurance company to get the documentation to the hospital. that took two weeks of arguing. it is now the treatment center that has had trouble with this insurance co. in the past and has now refused treatment on that basis. i am attempting to get them (treatment center ) to reconsider. i hope to hear from them today as time is precious...

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. After losing my husband 4 years ago to this disease I know how much time plays in getting the treatment needed immediately. I sometimes think the insurance companies drag this out purposely and it's infuriating. We're just now bringing these issues public and hopefully working toward change. In the meantime, too many are suffering both physically and mentally trying to get treatment without getting stonewalled. It's not even a matter of having good insurance anymore. These companies do whatever they can to decline coverage on every level.

Perhaps you could tell us which insurance company is doing this to you and we could all write and protest on behalf of your sister. Do you have a local TV station that investigates on behalf of its citizens?

The insurance company that has such a bad record that the treatment center doesn't want to deal with them should be named. If their name starts getting out they will kiss ass at the treatment center to get them to take her.

The insurance company will be named and I am sure many here are on their plan. The treatment center in Philly we want to take her to does NOT have contract with this insurance company but their Chicago center does. We have been waiting all day from the center for any kind of idea of what it will cost if we pay out of pocket whatever it takes. Still waiting. We are no longer sure we can move her anyway. Not a good day. The stories being shared here are very important and so very welcome. This started with our story but it is EVERYONES story. I hope others are comfortable posting their stories here. This is so wrong. We must change this!

I hope the previous responses have given you some ideas or some hope. I'm just adding my support as I'm familiar with the corporate idiosyncracies of profit. Keep it up until either the service provider or the insurance company changes it's priorities to reduce the bad press. it'll happen. Good luck

thanks so much for your email, smorrisey. since she was diagnosed, another sister was diagnosed with breast cancer - we have been involved with raising money for the last 7 years with TNT and we know many survivors also. IT IS EPIDEMIC and it goes and goes and no one looks at it that way. too much money to be made i guess. we are looking to get her to a cancer center but they do not take her insurance-BCBS of CA- the self pay costs 125k which we are trying to raise. her insurance co. just delayed paying for medication because they felt it was too soon to be requesting it even though her doc called it in. it is CRIMINAL. why do people still think we have "the best" health care in the world?? it is for the wealthy and the insurance companies to enjoy.
we do have her on a veggie diet per the China Study.
we welcome any suggestions you may have and i am so very sorry for your loss. it is so deep...

I don't have health insurance and, before looking at this pod, was searching so that I can be protected if anything should happen. Now I'm not so sure anymore. Just know that your sister is in my prayers as well as you and the rest of your family. It's a scary thing when you rely on something and it let's you down. I'm sending a link to everyone I know to help you get the word out on this situation. Your voice is being heard.

Compassionate health care is not the normal result of the sacred profit motive. Health care decisions should be left to the patient and the doctor, not some petty insurance administrator. Call it what you want, but we would do better with a single payer system operated by the government. We're the only industrialized nation that does not have universal health care, and it's all because we are afraid of words like socialized medicine. It is both cruel and stupid to withhold proper health care from anyone needing help.

Go ahead and name the company - PLEASE.

These jerks fight legitimate claims and then when they finally do settle a claim they have the court make the settlement SECRET so others can't learn how to fight them properly or succeed.

I'm not an attorney but as long as you state YOUR opinion and stay away from conspiring with others to "hurt" their business, you should have every right to name them and tell your story.

I once watched State Farm sue a contractor out of business by accusing him of "creating" damage to get several claims paid. State Farm used an engineering company to "agree" with their opinion on the damage. I think that engineering firm would sell their soul for the next fee from State Farm or Allstate. In this way, the insurance companies can "say" they "relied on expert opinions" as to what caused the damage was how it was created. This particular engineering firm was reprimanded after a hurricane for practicing in one of the hurricane states without being licensed in that state. They were there "backing up" insurance denials.

Trouble was in the "fake damages case", the guy was not even in business when