From the Department of Immediate Results: Ian Pearl, whose care was denied, gets his coverage back after protest
Posted on October 27th, 2009 by Jason Rosenbaum in Insurance Nightmares
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You remember Ian Pearl, right? He's the guy who's insurer called him a dog and then threatened to cancel his policy in the entire state to avoid giving him and people like him the benefits they paid for.
After decades of medical emergencies, we still weren't prepared for the latest crisis — this one created by the same insurance company that once saved my life. Guardian abruptly withdrew our health plan from all policyholders in New York where my father's business is based. Guardian offered a 'replacement' plan with low benefits and no home nursing benefits. They knew that I would never survive with such a plan, but they didn't care.
Suspecting that this action was related to the high cost of my care, we filed a lawsuit and have asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to enforce existing federal laws and require Guardian to continue my health plan. Without federal intervention, I will lose this insurance, and that would be a death sentence.
Our lawsuit uncovered insurance company documents that confirmed my suspicion that I'm a target of discrimination. The documents revealed Guardian had compiled a "hit list" of its costliest members, including patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, and paralysis. Guardian executives referred to us all as "dogs" and "trainwrecks," and they debated how and when to dump us from the rolls. Laws prohibited the cancellation of the individual members with serious chronic health problems, so Guardian opted to cancel the plan for all members of this specific health plan in New York, an action that violates federal law.
Ian's mother Susan came to Washington, DC to confront lobbyists Karen Ignagni and the rest of the insurance industry last week. And after an extremely well-attended press conference and a march involving 600+ people, Ian's insurer, Guardian, relented:
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America today notified the family of Ian Pearl that the company intends to ensure that Mr. Pearl will continue to have the same benefits that Guardian currently provides including 24/7 in-home nursing care. While details are not yet final, our commitment to continuing uninterrupted care to Ian Pearl is absolute.
Needless to say, the Pearl family is ecstatic.
It's unfortunate, however, that a media frenzy and a huge protest were needed to get Ian the care he paid for, deserved, and needed to live. Ian's case serves as an example of the lengths the insurance industry will go to deny care and make a profit.
The case serves as a testament to why we need health reform with a public health insurance option. Without it, there will be no way to hold the insurance industry accountable for their customers who can't travel to DC to confront the industry and who don't have 600+ people backing them up on the street outside. Everyone in America deserves quality, affordable health care, and everyone deserves a choice of public or private insurance.
They're trying to shut his mouth now because this is the critical juncture. Having the press inflamed now is the least that any health insurance companies want. Ian should not giving this fight just because this insurance company is buying off his silence. Because once these companies successfully destroy the reform, it's vengeance time. Not only the costs that these companies used to fight against the reform will be recouped with some ridiculous justifications of premium hike, the people and the insured will learn from the insurance companies that "Hell knows no furies!"
It is interesting to note that Ian would not get 24/7 in home nursing care under the public options being discussed. He would, instead, be forced to go into a nursing home.
Proof?
What we need are laws such as Ian's for all the Insurance Companies across the United States. We don't need the government to OWN the Insurance Companies as I'm not happy with their reform bill. How dare they state in this new reform bill, you have to have it or you will be fined or jailed. HELLO, thousands of people are out of work right now and many are not collecting unemployment. People with disabling handicaps, elderly and poor people will suffer from this reform bill. It's as simple as making a law for all the Insurance Companies to abide by. WE need a laws for lower premiums, no one should be denied because of a pre-exisiting condition, no one should be dropped because of a disability, and stop the caps that are put on the policies. Forget about this New Reform Bill, - let's just make laws to protect Law Abiding, Taxypaying and disabled people - ASAP And I agree that the Insurance Company put Ian back on the policy to keep him quiet. The Government lacks common sense and they just continue to fill their own pockets while the rest of us struggle to make it through a day.