9 in 10 Americans Unable to Buy Health Insurance

[rman]

Democracy Now
Friday, September 15th, 2006
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/15/1342236

Study: 9 in 10 Unable to Buy Health Insurance
In health news, a new study says nine out of ten Americans who’ve tried to buy their own health insurance have been unable to do so. According to the Commonwealth Fund, one in five uninsured were turned down because of an existing medical condition. Nearly 60 percent went without health insurance because they could not afford the price.

[Skidmore]

1. Well, in the absence of people refusing to buy insurance, this

may be one step towards shutting that giant Ponzi scheme known as the insurance industry down. The orginal idea was a good one but it has become corrupted to the core. Perhaps there will be some incentive for creating affordable health care pricing and less for gaming a corrupt system.

[acmejack]

2. What a indictment of a broken system!

How much longer can this be allowed to go on? To so say it shows a colossal disregard for the citizens is a huge understatement...

[JCMach1]

3. Leave the US and you will see just how screwed-up it is!

[Poppyseedman]

4. If 9 out of 10 cannot buy insurance for whatever reason

how do the insurance companies stay in business?

BTW, I went to the link to actually see the article and there is nothing there to back up their claim.

Did I miss the link for the study or research?

[rman]

5. google: Commonwealth Fund health insurance

http://www.cmwf.org/Publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=367876

...Findings from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey...

[Poppyseedman]

6. Thanks for the link

I'm always a little wary when claims are made that 90% of a product is unavailable to the average american.

The system will be fixed when the doctors start to reclaim their patients from the bean counters at the corporate insurance providers.

[mikeyj84]

9. Insurance/ Legalized extortion

I'm one of the 9 out of 10 americans who tried to get my own health insurance after retiring from work because of health reasons. It cost 2500 dollars to find out that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N,J. would not pay for any claim related or not to a pre existing condition. Their claim was that everything was related to my pre existing condition. I went to my state and federal representatives, who give you token responses,and then after asking the insurance company what the hell I was paying them foe and got a smart ass response, I then told the insurance company to stick their insurance up their ass, and I would not send them another dime.

[Vinca]

8. The insurance companies make money by screwing those

who can still afford it. They screw you not only by raising your rates, but by cutting your benefits. Most people don't realize that until they're walking in the door of the bankruptcy court. Nothing will happen until the last screwed person folds.

[Cassandra]

7. I think the headline is deceptive.

Apparently, that's 9 in 10 who tried to buy their own, not 9 in 10 Americans generally. Still a major problem, though.

[kedrys]

10. That happened to us

The s.o. was turned down due to a "pre-existing condition", which was duly documented by our doctors as not being one. One of the things they objected to was *one* medication.

I ended up taking a seriously underpaid job just so we could get benefits. Of course, if we actually try to use our benefits, we get screwed big time. Our GP was just taken off the list, and they assigned some complete stranger as our primary care provider; I can't use the dentist I've been going to for 10 years; and unless we buy generic drugs (which don't work as well as brand, I don't care what anyone says), we end up shelling out major $$$.

The whole thing is a huge ripoff. :grr: :mad: