New York Times' Insurance Industry Tearjerker Tries To Change The Subject From Industry Practices
The New York Times published a very nice press release from the desk of Humana, one of the nation's largest health insurance companies. The reporter interviewed a bunch of employees at Humana, all of whom were horrified to see themselves depicted as "villains" in the health care debate. I agree with Yves Smith, this is an absurd angle for a story, an extreme example of selection bias. The people who work at Humana probably have a sense that their employer, um, pays their salary, and thusly, what's good for the employer is probably good for them. Similarly, most people hold a favorable opinion of themselves just as a matter of getting through the day. Not to mention the fact that their understanding of the functioning of Humana is limited to their job description. It is not possible to gain much of a perspective on the health care debate or industry practices by asking a mid-level manager "Do you think you're the worst person alive?"
As Smith writes,
Since when is it legitimate, much the less newsworthy, to get a company's perception on its embattled status, at least without introducing either some contrary opinion or better yet, facts, to counter the views of people who will inevitably see what they are doing as right? I hate to draw an extreme comparison to make the point, but staff in Nazi concentration camps also thought they were good people. It is well documented that for all save the depressed, people's assessments of their own behavior is biased in their favor.
There is some revelatory stuff in the article, however. David Sirota flags one employee saying that Humana believes in keeping down costs by "controlling utilization":
Now, I know we're supposed to think that private for-profit health care companies don't ration care, while government-run programs like Medicare do - but as the insurance industry admits right here for all to see, that's just not the case. The obvious truth is that the health insurance industry works hard to "control utilization" - that is, it works hard to make sure that when you need a costly medical service, you are "controlled" (read: prevented) from getting it.Sure, we're all against excessive testing - and there are good ways to deal with those inefficiencies. But that's not what the insurance industry is talking about. It is talking about its practice of rationing care - and now that reality is right there in black and white for all to see.
The truth of the matter is that many of the charges that insurance companies like WellPoint level at the public option and regulatory changes sought in the health reform bill mirror accepted industry practices. WellPoint, which emailed its own customers yesterday attacking the Democratic plan, claimed that health reform will "increase the premiums of those with private coverage." Yet WellPoint routinely hikes their own premium prices by close to double digits annually, leading to ever-increasing profits. The email stated that millions of Americans would lose their private coverage and be forced onto a government-run option if the Democratic bill passed (nothing could be further from the truth); yet WellPoint routinely uses the practice of rescission to drop their own customers from coverage if they ever try to use it, and they've admitted they would continue doing so unless forced to stop by law.
The email is an example of the astroturf practices from the industry, including, no doubt, pitching to the New York Times a story putting the human face on insurers. Many of these astroturf efforts spring from the same sources as the corporate lobby groups activating the tea party protests at town hall meetings throughout the country this August. They're trying to change the subject, away from facts, like how they're spending less of their premium revenue on medical care over the years, from 90% in the early 1990s to around 80% today. Or how they use rescission and pre-existing condition to make profits off cherry-picking the healthy and denying everyone else care. House and Senate leaders have requested more and more information about insurance company practices; Dennis Kucinich has joined that effort. But the insurance industry, while nominally siding with reform, wants to keep the focus on efforts against it, in service to de-fanging it.
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Health insurance executives earned $85.6 million in 2008 and drug company executives earned $199.4 million, plus profits for shareholders. PER HOUR PAY:
Miles White - Abbott - $17,395.00
Fred Hassan - Schering-Plough - $15,677.00
Bill Weldon - Johnson & Johnson - $13,022.00
Bob Essner - Wyeth - $12,552.00
Ron Williams - Aetna - $12,656.00
H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA - $6,373.00
Angela Braly -WellPoint - $5,127.00
This is what those poor souls at the town hall meetings are trying to protect. If they only knew.
Sometimes you would do better fighting your opponent with his on weapons .What would be the result of a journalistic report picturing the lifestyle and profits of the CEO's of those infamous insurance providers ,rather than their own propaganda focusing on their clerks .
Do not forget companies exist for one reason only;to make the maximum amount of profit possible, always on the lookout to increase the profit margins even further .You don't have to be a genius to understand that .Neither do you have to be very intelligent to understand what the result is on for the customers of those companies,they will be paying maximum price and receive minimum service .If those gentlemen of the insurance companies use every trick in the book to prevent the people in the USA from obtaining a decent health care system they should be exposed as egoistic thieves willing to sacrifice thousands of lives in order to continue enjoying their lifestyles .Why not some documentary about the people a the top .use their weapons against them without any apprehension,they've set the example didn't they ?
For profit health insurance is immoral. The only way to maximize profits is to raise premium and deductibles and deny claims. The only answer to our health care crisis is single payer.
Well duh. Of course these people think They are doing a good thing. They are human after all. Does anyone really think they go in to work every day thinking well many will suffer some will die if I do my job but hey it's a paycheck and besides there's that bonus to think of. No they have to think they are doing a good thing and convince themselves they are helping people. It is self preservation. If they can not justify and rationalize what they do, they would not be able to continue doing what they do.
As long as for profit corporations are allowed to provide health care and or health care insurance, this is a wasted argument and discussion. By law a corporation MUST place the interests of the shareholders ahead of all other activities the corporation engages in. No corporation or corporate officer is going to violate its obligations to the shareholders because affordable and decent health care is the 'right thing" to do for its customers. What amazes me is how many people bow their heads and worship these false gods. Always telling everyone that has to listen that they are "good Christians". Talk about working at cross purposes and confused.
Corporations are the single most evil entity ever created in this country.
Good old InHumana..
I remember when Wally World capped the salaries of its employees. There was an interview with a low level employee who thought it was a good thing for the employees.
I wonder if there is a Canadian reading this who need a groundskeeper.
As a Canadian I can't help ,but think your country is doomed. Your leaders can't even have mature discussions. EVERYTHING you do is about MONEY. Now the people with the money own you, and will lie cheat and steal to keep it that way. The constant threat of violence from the Right, will inevitably lead to bloodshed. I Really wish you guys the best, but my cynicism seems to reach new heights everytime your leaders speak.
You might very well be right. I guess much will be revealed throughout the rest of this year...
"As a Canadian I can't help, but think your country is doomed."
Still? Bush is gone now, you know. Doesn't that count?
From the results, not much. Look forward and don't prosecute war crimes. Still in Iraq. Afghan war extended into Pak. Gitmo still open and Bagram worse than ever. Bank bailouts in the trillions and kowtowing to Big Insurance and Pharma to the tune of 80 billion. Need i go on?
Bush lite. That is Obama. Likeable guy, but in way over his head. Change we can't believe in.
Had hopes for your country, but it is down the drain already.
Even the simplest mind can grasp that the need to make profits and provide their shareholders and CEOs with wealth is anathema to providing their clients health.
The more health they provide, the less wealth they create.
Why can't people understand this?
They understand it, the REPUBLICANT'S just don't care.
Its all about priorities. T
Their priority is WEALTH for them and their corporate backers OVER health care for ALL Americans.
I think Progressives start winning the PR war on healthcare when they begin to understand that the overly simplistic, good vs. evil paradigm is a losing battle. As dopey as the right is with their town hall freak show performances, the left can be just as goofy when they cling to the perception that all would be well in healthcare were it not for evil insurers trying to kill everyone so that they don't have to pay medical bills.
Freaking focus. Reform is too important to pick this losing strategy. It's as short sighted and lazy as Republicans believing the answer to health care costs is tort reform.
"that all would be well in healthcare were it not for evil insurers trying to kill everyone so that they don't have to pay medical bills."
Distorted characterization of the left's position.
IT'S NOT THAT "ALL WOULD BE WELL IN HEALTHCARE".
YOU freaking focus. The one thing that you ARE accurate about is that the overall fight IS in fact about trying to defeat "evil insurers trying to kill everyone so that they don't have to pay medical bills". That IS in fact the problem that we are trying to fix.
But - to repeat - it's not that by defeating that type of system that everything would be all hunky-dory. Nice usage of strawman logic. It's that by eliminating private, for-profit health insurance and providing better health care to every single American at what would actually end up being lower cost,
MAKES.
SENSE.
That would make sense if you had any understanding of how countries such as Britain and Germany are attempting to refine and improve their own healthcare systems and control unsustainable cost growth.
Wait for it.....an increase in private health insurance companies! Go figure.
I think you are wrong. I think a winning strategy would be for our political leaders to demonize the private insurance and make this about good and evil. Lord knows these companies have done enough vile, despicable, evil things to remind people of. What if we reminded Americans about their grandmother fighting on the phone to have her home nurse covered the last days of her life, or of that time they paid a co-pay only to get a bill of thousands of dollars three months later when their medical visit was "reclassified". Remind them of what happens to their premiums as they get older, and sicker. Make them mad. Make them feel their private insurance is not safe; that cold bureaucrats from wall st. can eliminate them as soon as they become unprofitable. I think democrats have been reluctant to use class warfare whereas its the biggest tool of the republican arsenal. They make everything about middle and upper against poor. Right vs wrong. Government vs. the little people, and yet they are rich, wrong, and against the little people. Its time we make the same moral arguments. That health is a human right. That no one should die like a dog because they are poor, or sick, or lost a job. That government can do social good. Just look at Medicare! That's what we need to do, and until we do, we can't win this debate.
I read that story earlier today and was shocked. Oh those poor insurance company employees. Yes, I know that individually these people aren't villains but their employers are. There's this quote from an employee:
“We believe there’s a better way to control costs by controlling utilization and getting people involved in their health care.” “We believe there’s a better way to control costs by controlling utilization and getting people involved in their health care.”
You know what "controlling utilization" means. Denials making doctors appeal denial of that prescription, test, surgery, procedure. As for "getting people involved" that means getting people to pay more and more out of their own pocket. The theory being that people will make health care decisions based on cost when they're paying for it.
It was disgusting to read about these people whining when they have been involved in the suffering and death of so many people. It simply does not compare.
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