newsobserver.com projects - Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet - Comments

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

mvh9355 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:40:04 -0400

KAY HAGAN: PROTECTING HER OWN $180,000 INVESTMENT IN PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES:

That's all you need to know. She has a vested interest in protecting THAT money and her interests in these companies. You can expect assignment to a variety of these company boards ONCE WE VOTE HER OUT. Please leave us alone, Ms. Hagan. Please go away. Pro-tobacco vote too? We understand what you are now. You're voting just like Liddy Dole. We expected better.

Marsha V. Hammond, PhD: Clinical Psychologist, Asheville, NC : Democratic Party member

see here for problems w/ BCBSNC: http://madamedefarge2scutinizingbcbsnc.blogspot.com/

Monday, May 25, 2009
Tough Love for BCBSNC since they can't compete w/ Medicare: 15%administrative costs vs Medicare's 2%
*************
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Innoculate yourself: BCBSNC is going to try and scare you out of government sponsored health insurance e.g., Medicare
**************
Raleigh's flim flam Capstrat PR Firm works for BCBSNC and against public health insurance:'We help corporations advance regulatory interests'
*********************
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
WaPo: NOW we know why BCBSNC was stockpiling all that money: THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL ACCESS TO PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE
**********************
Monday, April 13, 2009
Medicare or BCBSNC? : gee, which one should I choose?

What a hoot. Or a screech. That's the sound of their tires veering off the road paved w/ the millions of $$$$$$$$$ of NC citizens who have no reimburseable (via BCBSNC Advanta Plans: $750/ month my healthy 3 member family pays for BCBSNC) access to :
1. screening colonoscopy
2. mammogram
3. mental health parity
I dunno: what a tough decision: Medicare or BCBSNC?
*************************
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
BCBSNC: they donated $643,000 to state legislators who are then supposed to OVERSEE BCBSNC
********************
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
$16 Million paid to BCBSNC Board Members: the Ponzi scheme that the insured have paid into
********************

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

kilnntime — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:16:31 -0400

The problem is that what the government will offer will not be even close to what we have available now, it will cost the taxpayers way more for it then they are paying now, it will not be FREE. There is no such thing as a free healthcare, it has to be paid for, the estimates I have read is public plan will cost each person 3500-4500 per year, now get online and look for a private plan, I promise you can find insurance for that much money and if you have a family for way less than the per person rate of a government plan. Ask some Canadians about their health care system and how long they have to wait and how care is rationed by whether there is a benefit for the government for paying for something, granny needs a new hip but granny isnt giving the government any money she is old and wont live long anyway so it wouldnt really be cost effective to do a hip replacement on her. Oh you have cancer, well that kind doesnt have a great sucess rate and your kinda getting up there in age so the cost / benefit isnt really there so no chemo for you. OH and we know that drug would help you but its not on our approved treatment list so sorry you cant have that.

Kay Hagen if you vote no on this stuff I will VOTE for YOU. I cant afford government healthcare

Re: $1,600,000,000,000.00, and you know how their estimates pan

kilnntime — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:51:11 -0400

wow you put that so perfectly, your right and for those of us who have insurance from our jobs don't forget we will be taxed on the part our employer pays for us so lookie another tax we can pay.

Its called get them dependant on government and government will own the people, this is why those on welfare have such a hard time getting off it, it becomes a way of living, it sucks you in and wont let you go. It distroys their will, they just give up, that is why you have generations on welfare.

$1,600,000,000,000.00, and you know how their estimates pan out

PlaybyPlay — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:51:12 -0400

It is easy for the Federal Government to have lower costs than the private sector. After factoring in that they don’t pay taxes (big one), they can function with a staff that supports the entire US instead of having a different company for each state (also I doubt they even factor in the cost of staff when figuring cost), they can charge all citizens to pay for the few who will use it and they under pay all doctors so that they are required to get private insurers to pick up the difference. It is very easy to see how a government run plan will cost less than a private insurer and force them out of business. Leaving only a single payer plan in the future.

Many doctors are moving away from seeing Medicare and Medicaid patients because the government will not reimburse them for the full cost and then the government tries to make it as hard as possible to even audit what little money they do send doctors by not itemizing the reimbursement payments.

Everyone will pay for the public plan no matter if you have private insurance or public, because they will never charge those who use the public option enough to cover all the costs. So it will be a steady stream of people/companies who say why pay for both when I/they can just pay for one.

Almost all the 46 million who don’t have insurance now can either get it through an already established public plan, don’t want insurance (like my father), are in transition from a job or are an illegal immigrant. There are less than 9,000,000 who actually don’t have insurance who want it. So we will spend 1,600,000,000,000.00 over ten years for those people. That comes out to more than $17,000 per person per year for 10 years. Not sure that is cheaper than just buying them private insurance with government money. Now how much did they say was considered a “gold-plated” health plan and would now be taxed to pay for this new plan? I have seen estimates that peg it to any insurance compensation above the average cost of the federal insurance plan for individuals - $4,200 per year. So how is spending $12,800 more than the per person per year average that the government already pays - lowering costs?

Balance the budget and pay down the debt. That is the real problem we are facing. How much money do I spend in taxes each year just to pay the national debt interest? I bet that could pay for a nice health care plan…

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

dustbin_yall — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:31:43 -0400

Real Americans has it pegged. After her pro-tobacco vote (i.e. anti the people and their health), I sent her a note saying I expected Burr to vote pro-tobacco, but shocked at her GOP mentality. She's just proved it: she's a Republican infiltrator who is sabotaging the Democrats. Ah, she's succeeded the ultimate of political endeavors - well, I guess there is the money, too......

Hagan - wake up

Real_Americans_Think — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:59:09 -0400

We didn't vote for you only to end up with a second Richard Burr. Are you running for the GOP nomination?

Re: You're kidding, right?

Gosh — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:23:20 -0400

yep, probably...Fox maintains the highest viewership on TV consistently...must be a reason!

Yes, "So You Think You Can Dance" is very popular and proves your political point in spades.

Rank Program Network Viewers (P2+)
1 SO YOU THINK CN DANCE-WED FOX 8,483,000
2 CRIMINAL MINDS CBS 8,037,000
3 WIPEOUT ABC 7,995,000
4 CSI: NY CBS 7,797,000
5 I SURVED-JAPANESE GM SHOW ABC 5,345,000
6 LAW AND ORDER NBC 4,949,000
7 MANANA PARA SIEMPRE WED UNI 4,823,000
8 GARY UNMARRIED CBS 4,172,000
9 OLD CHRISTINE CBS 4,100,000
10 I’M A CELEBRITY-WED NBC 4,064,000
Source: The Nielsen Company (June 17, 2009).

You so don't get the whole broadcast v. cable news thing at all, huh?

I'll save my breathe as you should since it apparently requires your mouth.

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

BUCAND — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:23:52 -0400

Senator Hagan,

Support the public option or lose your seat. It's that simple. The majority in nearly every pole taken supports this plan. We tried insurance-driven change in the 1990's. I remember it. They promised to lower rates, make the care more effect, even get a standardized claim form. Now, it's 15 years later AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A STANDARDIZED CLAIM FORM. If they can't fix a form, then how can they possibly fix the problems we face as a country?

The only thing the health insurance industry can do well is deny claims and pump politicians campaigns full of money (as BCBSNC has done for Senator Hagan). CEOs of the insurance companies (like non-profit BCBSNCs Bob Gretzchen) make millions of dollars every year. They spend our money lobbyists, corporate jets, advertising. CEOs of the drug companies make millions too, and charge insane amounts for their drugs making tens of billions of dollars a year. The waste government money on research, then do not share in the profits. All that comes out of the health care of people like me.

Tens of millions of hard-working Americans are uninsured and tens of millions more are underinsured. Why? So these fat-cats and politicians can get even more rich? So they can buy another house/plane/car? So they can pay themselves more bonus money? It's a racket against the American people. What we cannot afford is any more of the private health insurance industry bleeding our citizens and our country dry.

My advice to you, Senator Hagan, is to watch all the Frank Capra movies. Notice how the hero is never the guy that defends big business? You will never look back and be proud that you stood up for the CEOs of these companies instead of the American people.

Re: You're kidding, right?

BitterEXdemocrat — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:08:52 -0400

yep, probably...Fox maintains the highest viewership on TV consistently...must be a reason! CBS, ABC and PMSNBC, etc seem to be falling way behind daily. must be a reason!

If Kay Hagan will not renounce her current Senate coverage for whatever she oppresses on the people, then there is the LIE within her...ASK her...Will YOU discard Senate healthcare for socialized medicine?

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

jemphd — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:03:02 -0400

This is why we need a public option:

Testimony of Wendell Potter, former CIGNA VP, said don't trust insurers. They make paperwork confusing because people will give up. He fears insurers PR and lobbying will shape health care to benefit Wall Street, not average Americans.

Senate committee releases investigative summary of insurance industry's reimbursement-rate procedures.
Modern Healthcare (6/24, Blesch) reported that a Senate Commerce Committee panel has released a summary report concluding that "flawed databases sold by UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Ingenix, targeted earlier this year by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, are used pervasively by health plans nationwide to determine out-of-network payments." The inquiry "also revealed that New Jersey law actually requires that individual and small-business plans base their out-of-network payments on Ingenix data."

On its website, ABC News (6/25, Gomstyn) explains that the report released Wednesday was the result "of a year-long investigation by a subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce found that three major US insurance companies, WellPoint Inc., Assurant Health and United HealthGroup, canceled nearly 19,800 customer policies between 2003 and 2007."

According to the AP (6/25, Perrone), the investigation led by Senate Commerce Committee Chair John Rockefeller (D-WV) revealed that "nearly 20 regional and national insurers" used the Ingenix data. The congressional investigators said companies would "deliberately skew data to underestimate the costs of medical services, leaving patients to pay more in out-of-pocket expenses. ... A Senate Commerce Committee spokesperson stood behind the report's statements, saying they stem from evidence given under oath by Aetna in a court proceeding." Still, UnitedHealth "has admitted no wrongdoing."

The Wall Street Journal (6/25, Johnson) adds that Sen. Rockefeller, who "also chairs the health subcommittee of the Finance Committee, one of two key Senate panels negotiating the healthcare bill," hopes to "insert into the healthcare bill language creating some type of independent evaluator that can certify that health claims are evaluated properly." In the meantime, Commerce Committee investigators "likely will continue to drill down into individual companies' practices to understand how they arrive at certain claims rates. The committee also could look into smaller regional insurance carriers to see if they, too, are using faulty data."

Retired CIGNA VP testifies on insurers' deceptive practices. The Washington Post (6/25, Hilzenrath) notes that the "star witness at the hearing" was Wendell Potter, CIGNA's former VP for corporate communications, whose testimony "boiled down to this: Don't trust the insurers." Potter said insurers "make paperwork confusing because 'they realize that people will just simply give up and not pursue it' if they think they have been shortchanged." Referring to the industry's objection to a public plan option, Potter said he "worries 'that the industry's charm offensive, which is the most visible part of duplicitous and well-financed PR and lobbying campaigns, may well shape' healthcare reform" in a way that is more beneficial to Wall Street than to "average Americans."

On its website, ABC News (6/25, Gomstyn), provides extensive details of Potter's testimony. Potter explained how insurers "look carefully to see if a sick policyholder may have omitted a minor illness [or] a pre-existing condition, when applying for coverage, and then they use that as justification to cancel the policy, even if the enrollee has never missed a premium payment." This practice of "dumping," he added, "can have a big effect on the bottom line," especially in plans with a small number of enrollees. "All it takes is one illness or accident among employees at a small business to prompt an insurance company to hike the next year's premiums so high that the employer has to cut benefits, shop for another carrier, or stop offering coverage altogether," he said. In the second half of the article, ABC News publishes testimonials from whose coverage was rescinded by insurers. The Wall Street Journal (6/24, Goldstein) Health Blog also covered Potter's testimony.

You're kidding, right?

James_Protzman — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:00:49 -0400

CNS News? That's the funniest thing I've seen today. I suppose you're a Fox fan too?

Very hilarious.

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

Gosh — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:38:01 -0400

Some good background and investigative research on this here.

For what knowledge is worth. Please carry on.

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

bnartist — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:35:27 -0400

Ah yes, the lazy poor meme. There are plenty of people low to middle income who work hard but can't get affordable health insurance. BCBS is a virtual monopoly. If you can't get affordable insurance with BCBS you are unlikely to find it any cheaper anywhere else in NC. There are plenty of hard working people spending their cash on food & healthcare rather than computers and broadband connections.

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

bnartist — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:04:16 -0400

If you want facts go to the source:
Wide Support for Government-Run Health

Linking to a post at the "Conservative/Cybercast News Service" quoting a Republican strategist/pollster who famously predicted that John McCain would win is hardly fact based.

The poll is consistent with previous polls. Whatever way you slice it there is overwhelming support for a government solution.

Re: Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

CitizenOpinionated — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:32:02 -0400

Adamseering -

Since 3.7 million out of the 4.5 million people with private health insurance in North Carolina get their health insurance through NC Blue Cross, most people in NC don't have a real choice of health plans. A public option health plan would allow people a real choice when their premiums get increased by BCBSNC or their coverage is denied. It would keep BC honest and perhaps they wouldn't feel they have to do things like pay their nonprofit CEO $3.99 million last year in compensation.

It is amazing because there are countless other insurers available in North Carolina...

United Healthcare

Aetna

plus countless others that offer coverage in North Carolina...

Laziness should not be compensated through legislation - if you are unhappy with BCBSNC then go on your computer and do a google search...

Or do you want the federal government to do that for you as well...

Kay Hagan: Don't judge me yet

markjohnson — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:06:18 -0400

Sen. Kay Hagan this morning told critics to "stay tuned" to the health care debate in Washington.

Hagan, a Democrat, talked to reporters after a visit to Charlotte's Shelter Health Services, a free clinic that provides medical services to residents of an adjacent shelter for homless women and children. Some in her own party have criticized her for appearing to take a so-called "public option" in health care reform off the table, the Charlotte Observer's Jim Morrill reports.

Many, including Democratic leaders such as Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada and Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, have put forward what's known as a "public option" provider, a federally run insurer. Hagan told the Greensboro News & Record this week that a federally run insurance program could cause companies to drop their private insurance plans and destabilize the insurance market.

"We haven’t taken a 'public option' off the table," she told reporters today. She said it depends on what that means. A member of a key Senate health committee, she said she’s working with colleagues to find a way to expand coverage, ensure quality of care and be fiscally accountable.

Critics, she said, "need to stay tuned." "People are so centered on the word 'public'," she said. "And it really depends on what’s (involved) in that."