HealthCareForAmericaNow

On Monday, America's Health Insurance Plans held an online forum as part of their sham "listening tour." They asked for questions to be submitted to them via email, easily allowing them to pick and choose what they answered. They controlled the medium - with a moderator choosing questions for CEO Karen Ignagni to answer - and that allowed them to control the message. Judging from what actually went on during the forum, with softball questions and no followups, the insurance industry was allowed to spin their position on health care. You can watch the forum here.

Of course, if AHIP had really wanted to talk with the public, they would have been faced with a very different situation. A full 82% of America believes we need a big change in our health care system, with large margins supporting the kinds of health care plans - with quality, affordable health care for all - that the industry opposes. (Karen Ignagni makes clear the industry's position on "reform," a pitiful tax credit that even if it would cover the full cost of health care, would still leave working families paying out of pocket costs for a year until the IRS sent them their end-of-the-year check.)

But it's clear AHIP doesn't actually want to listen to the public, even though they claim they want input. Because if they really wanted to listen to the public, they would have been asked real questions.

On Monday, we asked our members to write America's Health Insurance Plans with questions. The response was overwhelming. In under three hours, over 1,700 questions were sent to AHIP. The full list is here, but I've pulled out some of the best ones - ones AHIP would have had to answer if it were really listening.

When comparisons are made between American private-insurance health plans and the national health care plans provided in all other western democracies (e.g. Canada, Europe), one of the glaring differences is the hugely larger percent of healthcare dollars spent on administrative costs in the US. Would the US healthcare industry ever commit to making the radical changes necessary to get administrative costs more in line with what such costs amount to (percentage wise) in the rest of the western world?

–John Valiulis

Would you consider changing your business model to put people's health decisions back in the hands of their doctors rather than an insurance clerk?

–Ann Barnes

Why is it that whenever I use my health insurance policy by going to the doctor and using the policy for which I am paying Premiums, you immediately penalize me for using a product that I have paid for? My contract with the insurance provider states that if I pay my premiums, they will pay my hospital bills… so why is it that I get penalized every time my health insurance provider provides me with their end of the deal???

Sincerely,
Brian McGee

This "listening tour" is a complete joke. All you care about is lining your bank accounts. Quit embarrassing yourself and insulting our intelligence.

If you want to be taken seriously you need to take our needs seriously. Until then you have nothing of interest to share…

–Brian Campbell

Why are you against people having the choice of staying with their private insurance plan if they like it or joining a public plan if they want it? Are you afraid you could not compete with a public insurance plan?

–Mariu Suarez

Although the majority of Americans have health insurance, it costs too much for too little. Many Americans are dissatisfied with the lack of coverage they're receiving, and pay higher premiums and yearly deductibles that make it harder to live the American dream. In a country so wealthy as ours, we shouldn't have to worry about going bankrupt over medical bills. That's where you come in.

The insurance industry is making too much profit at the expense of hardworking Americans. Too much paperwork, too much red tape, and not enough serious examination at cost-cutting measures. It's true, the American people can play their part to prevent chronic diseases that would save the system billions of dollars. But what about people who have no choice, or who have a medical emergency where insurance is supposed to be the safeguard?

Please work with us, not against us, in trying to find health care solutions that will save the system from collapsing on the American people. You might even make enough profit to keep you satisfied.

Sincerely,
Daniela Nunez
an insurance payer in Austin, TX

I paid premiums to Blue Cross from age 19 to 48. I was almost never ill. Then, at age 48 I got a drug resistant pneumonia germ. I was at my home on Long Island and thought I might be better off to go to my California cabin and get more sun. I landed in the hospital there. Blue Cross dropped me because I came from out of state. I ended up with a hospital bill over $200 thousand and lost both my homes.

We need low cost insurance for every American that will be there for them when they are ill in any state. The premiums should be on a sliding scale based on income.

–Gladys "Maria" Nockin

Long after procedures are in the mainstream of medical practice, health insurance companies categorize them as "experimental" or "investigational" as a way to deny coverage. Because of this practice I was forced to spend an additional 8 months in severe pain before an external review organization found in my favor and the surgery was scheduled.

When will your coverage match real life medical practice?

–Jeanne St.John

There's a basic disconnect in how Americans see health care and how the system actually works. I applaud you for listening to us, your customers, and hope this will be a step towards a true dialogue on how to make our health care work for all of us.

A good start would be for our nation's insurers to address publicly this simple problem:

Why is our existing health care system based on care avoidance rather than the provision of care?

I think most of us understand the basic economic model of minimizing costs in order to keep any business running, whether it's for profit or not. But the health care industry stands out as the one that avoids costs by avoiding providing its most basic service or product: actual health care. No other sector of our economy works in this way.

Americans need this addressed, explained, and ultimately fixed. A clear and simple answer to this question would be an enormous first step in that direction.

Finally, I hope you will release the full schedule of your listening tour, including dates, locations, and times. I look forward to this historic dialogue.

–Jon Drucker

Having worked in the Health Insurance business for a number of years, and now being retired I now know why the retired person feels insurance poor.

My Medicare Supp Premium has been increased twice this year by 30%, and I have yet to even file a claim in the 2 years I have been covered by this plan. Keeping in touch with my last employer, her business also received a premium increase this year of 30%. This employer has around 50 employees. She pays 100% of the health coverages for employees, and 50% for dependents. At one time she paid 100% for employee and dependent. Due to the increase in cost for the Health Coverage she was forced to go to an even higher deductible, and drop the prescription drug coverage.

If Insurance Companies keep insisting on this type of underwriting, and premium increases there will be more uninsured Americans. Does this not hurt your bottom line profits? But then, you will just increase premiums to keep that bottom line status quo. Bottom line, insurance companies do not care about the health of the general public. Your main concern is charge more, and give less coverage for the money.

–Theressa Marklund

Thank you for the opportunity to ask questions about the state of health insurance in the U.S. Women have much at stake in the debate over health reform, and there are many opportunities for the insurance industry to reform its policies and reject practices that are hurting women's health.

1. Insurance companies sometimes refuse to sell individual health insurance policies to
people who are sick, like women with breast cancer or diabetes. Will you promise to end this outrageous and unfair practice?

2. The New York Times recently revealed that some insurance companies won't sell health insurance to women who have had Cesarean section deliveries. This is really unfair, especially when about one-third of pregnant women now have their babies by c-section. How can you justify denying coverage because a woman has had a c-section? What will you do to make sure women won't be denied health insurance because of their pregnancy histories?

3. In most states insurance companies can charge women more than they charge men for the same health insurance plan, and they often do. This gender discrimination squeezes the budgets of women and families and it's not fair. Will you stop discriminating against women and making health care unaffordable for us by charging women more than men?

I look forward to your response to these questions and I hope you will release the full schedule of your listening tour, including dates, locations and times so that women across the country will have the opportunity to engage in this important dialogue.

Sincerely,

Amy Allina
Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need
http://raisingwomensvoices.net

If the health insurance industry was really intent on listening to the public, they would have held a truly open forum - in a public space, with dates, times, and locations posted well in advance - so the 82% of America dissatisfied with their health care would give the insurance industry a piece of their mind.

And so I reiterate our challenge. America's Health Insurance Plans should publicly post the dates, times, and locations for the rest of the stops on its "listening tour." It should hold events in public places where real debate is possible. Only then will it be exposed to the dissenting opinions it doesn't want to hear, and only then can it really claim it's "listening."

Once we've got there, maybe we can start talking about how to fix the problem.

(also posted at the NOW! blog)