Yesterday, my toilet clogged, and the plumber cannot come until Monday. But that’s not why I made this post entirely about healthcare today. I started putting it together when the news of the murder came out. By the way, the picture at left is from Pearl Harbor. Besides the videos, allow me to add this extra to lighten up a little.
Andy Borowitz on pardons
I have never worked in health insurance, but I have worked in auto and home insurance, and one thing I learned is that if a coverage dispute goes to court, the verdict often goes to the insured, even if the expense is pretty nearly not covered by the contract. And that is because an insurance policy is a “Contract of adhesion.” That means that the insured has little or no say in what the contract says. It’s not a rule (neither is “tie goes to the runner” a rule in baseball). The jury or judge, like the umpire in baseball, must make the decision. But insurance companies know that the insured often gets the benefit of the doubt. I would think this would also apply to health insurance, which leads me to the conclusion that insureds who need help the most are those financially unable to take a case to court – a conclusion which should surprise no one at all. I couldn’t help but think of Wendell Potter – the Cigna CEO who quit because he couldn’t take the corruption. He is still fighting Big Health, and has a column on Substack (the newest entry is from the da before Thanksgiving, so it’s upbeat, but still very telling.)
Since I have already brought up health insurance, this may be an appropriate time to share this story on Medicare Advantage, which is not to anyone’s advantage but those who want to privatize Medicare. And, it not only doesn’t save money for its insured, but it doesn’t save any for taxpayers either. It’s something only a Republican could love. My advice is, don’t get it, and if you have it, don’t renew it. If it’s too late to drop it this year, don’t renew it next year. You’d be far better off setting up a separate savings account for medical emergencies and putting what the pemiums cost into it.
Incidentally, if you live in any of these nine states: Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia – you need to know about this. Even if it wouldn’t affect you personally, it might stall affect a friend, a relative, or a neighbor.
