Private health insurance can exclude pre-existing conditions forever and ever,

[raccoon]

amen.

If you've never had to deal with getting private insurance, you may not be aware of that.

They can attach riders to the policy saying they're not going to cover X condition(s) EVER.

And of course, they can decline to insure you, as well, for pre-existing conditions.

[Orrex]

1. Almost everything about private insurance totally sucks

We had to get a pre-approval letter for an MRI, or else the hospital wouldn't have run the procedure. We called to get the letter, and the insurance company contacted the hospital to affirm that the letter was on its way, so we went ahead with the MRI.

Two days later the letter arrived stating "we reserve the right to deny coverage if we determine that the procedure was unnecessary."

In essence, we'll cover your hugely expensive procedure unless we decide not to, and you have no way to know until after the procedure has taken place!

[raccoon]

2. That DOES totally suck.

I'd ask you what the company was, but I don't know if it makes any difference.

[phantom power]

3. And yet...

John Q. Public is scared to death of socialized health care. "My god, think of the horrible bureaucracy!"

It would be funny, except that it's so tragic.
:banghead:

[killbotfactory]

4. Yeah, it's a really great system

Freedom of choice for everybody!
Hooray!
Oh yeah, that reason you need health insurance? Pre-existing contition, bitch. Fuck off and die.

[aquart]

5. Which is why it should be abolished.

Dick Nixon's legacy.

[hunter]

6. They can and they do.

The insurance companies also try to shed small groups if somebody in the group looks like they are going to be expensive.

One of the worst things about the system is that it limits the employment options of people with certain chronic medical conditions or disabilites.

[CPschem]

7. Yup, I learned that the hard way.

Thanks UnitedHealth! Thanks for not covering my ROUTINE PREVENTIVE visit to my endocrinologist. Thanks for suggesting that I try again in 12 MONTHS.

[izquierdista]

8. Is there any other business

Where you pay up front and the business decides how much service you are going to get?

How about the cafeteria, where you pay for all you can eat? And then the cafeteria manager comes out and decides how much you get to eat.

Or how about going and paying up front for a hotel room, and then the bellboy decides you would be just as well sleeping in the linen closet?

Or paying for a new car at the dealership, and then they get to decide the make and model and year you get?

Or how about giving a lawyer a retainer, and then he decides how many hours he is going to put in on your case?

Ooops, bad example that last one, they actually DO do that.

[Vinca]

9. They're sneaky, too. Say you have diabetes and somehow managed

to get someone to give you a policy. They won't cover the diabetes, that's a given. But will they cover heart disease should it arise? Probably not, because that is something common among diabetics. If you have had one form of cancer, they probably won't cover another form if you're that unlucky. These people can't keep the private jets in the air and the yachts on the sea unless they charge a fortune and deny coverage anyway.