CEOs Reap Benefits While Insurance Companies Systematically Deny Care to Ill Policy Holders
WASHINGTON – August 6 – As Congress breaks for recess and the health insurance industry prepares to blitz the American public with attack ads on health care reform, Brave New Films kicks off its new “Sick for Profit” online campaign at http://sickforprofit.com. The first video contrasts the lavish lifestyle and extravagant earnings of United Health Group’s (UHG) CEO with their policyholders, who suffer from severe medical conditions but have been denied proper medical care. According to Forbes magazine, United Health Group CEO Stephen Hemsley owns three-quarters of a billion dollars in UHG stock options, and his 2008 compensation was a whopping $3,241,042.00.
At the same time, UHG is unwilling to provide the care for its insured. UHG patient Holly Bailey suffers from idiopathic pseudoobstruction. Ms. Bailey’s gastrointestinal system is unable to absorb nutrients from food. Despite having gone through a series of invasive procedures, baffled doctors determined that Ms. Bailey could only survive through the use of TNP, or total parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding as her sole source of nutrition). However, UHG denied Ms. Bailey the TNP her body needed, citing that it was an unnecessary procedure. UHG refused to pay for the only form of treatment that could save Ms. Bailey’s life, forcing her and her family to come up with the $6,000 cost. Only by taking out a loan on their home were Ms. Bailey’s parents able to come up with the money to pay for the costs of treatment.
“They deemed [TNP] ‘medically unnecessary’ and that they were not going to pay for any of it. I tried to explain to them that if I do not have this, I will die, and still they refused.” Holly Bailey, United Health Group Patient
Stories such as that of Holly Bailey and others are highlighted in the videos.
As the health care debate rages on, powerful insurance companies are spending millions of dollars to control the direction of the debate, obfuscate these issues.
*According to Forbes.com
Now watch the must-see video. Please feel free to use this video..we need to pass this info on and on...and on!
4 comments:
Okay theMom, it's on my real name facebook account so those dang red necks in Texas *might* learn something.
Thanks
OMG!!! The things that insurance company did to its customers are disgusting! I was enraged when they denied that woman the IV treatments she needed and when she told them she'd die if she didn't get it their response was, "OK"?!!! WTF? How the hell does ANYONE rate making over $100K PER HOUR? That is just NOT RIGHT! Something has GOT to change!
Making matters worse, are these "astroturf" organizations that get the gullible rethuglicans all fired up with their bald-faced lies! We have to figure out a way to stop this kind of idiocy.
pen..im in texas and i sure as hell know plenty..haah
why should health care be in the hands of people that will be making money off of us?..bastids
No nation can count itself worth a runny, warm shit which enriches its elites off the misery of its citizens.
Post a Comment