Half a Million Americans Denied Health Coverage

[sabra]

Source: CNBC/FT

The four largest health insurance companies in the US denied coverage to more than half a million individuals because of their pre-existing conditions from 2007 to 2009, according to a congressional investigation.

On average, the four companies – Aetna , Humana , UnitedHealth Group and WellPoint – denied one out of seven applicants’ coverage based on conditions such as pregnancy, angina, diabetes and heart disease.

The investigation found that the number of people who were denied coverage increased about 49 per cent from 2007 to 2009. In that period, the groups refused to pay 212,800 claims for individuals who were already insured based on their previous medical conditions.

New revelations about the extent of denials based on pre-existing conditions comes at a crucial time for Democratic lawmakers.

Many of them have come under pressure in the lead up to the November mid-term elections because of their support for President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, which was passed by Democrats in Congress in March

...

Although the committee found that a total of 651,000 individuals were denied insurance coverage in the individual market between 2007 and 2009, investigators said the number was likely “significantly higher” because the figure did not include individuals who were discouraged from applying for coverage by insurance agents.

The four companies covered about 2.8m people in the individual market in 2009. In some cases, the denials were issued without review.

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/39646830

[BeFree]

1. You want health insurance? Hahaha

You get it only if you don't need it and you can afford it.

Otherwise: SFTU. So says the industry.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. A kidney stone.

That is why I was denied coverage the one time I tried to find my own. I'd had one kidney stone, four years prior.

No health insurance for you! :eyes:

Single payer or bust!

[flamingdem]

4. That's a precondition?? nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. Yup.

If you've had one there is a chance you may have another. They don't want to have to pay for any future treatment.

[flamingdem]

3. Good talking point for dems nt

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. To be more precise...

Democrats are faced with selling the piece of shit healthcare they passed by insisting that it was a positive step toward addressing issues like summary denial of claim by insurers etc. The fact is that the healthcare bill is a laughable fraud that will do NOTHING to reign in these practices by insurers. The scam was worked out so that insurers had loopholes and workarounds already in place when the legislation kicks in. There is not a single aspect of the healthcare bill that these insurers are not prepared to side-step, ignore, workaround or bottle up in court. Not one!

The Democrats failure to pass a bill with a true public option has put them in this position. They would have drawn the same amount of lies and scorn from the right-wing whether they passed a real bill or the fake one they are now trying to sell.

[AndyTiedye]

8. The Insurance Industry Has Enough Money to Take Out Any Congresscritters Who Defy Them

They are raising their rates already to finance their purchase of the upcoming elections.

[wilt the stilt]

6. Best F'in healthcare in the world

and don't you forget it.

[activa8tr]

9. Yup, as long as you are either healthy or rich, it's the best!

Otherwise, nonexistent.

[HuckleB]

10. K & R.

[Vinca]

11. What's even worse is that now there is a "pre-existing condition" pool, few can afford it.

[speppin]

12. I read about a week ago that the fewer than expected have applied--probably

due to the costs. Wished I had saved the article.

[unkachuck]

13. "...denied one out of seven applicants’..."

....yet, we can't take our own tax dollars and create a program to provide healthcare to ourselves....

....time to man-up folks and stop pretending we live in a 'great' country....this a jag-off country run by fascists....

[Merlot]

14. If you can't afford insurance, have you also been "denied" insurance?

[indepat]

15. We need to get government out of the health-care business and let bidness be bidness, unbridled by

by any government interference. Smirk! Smirk! Smirk! ;)

[Safetykitten]

Duplicate

[Safetykitten]

16. Really, complaining about this when 2014 is soooooo close.