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I Was a Health Insurance Executive. What I Saw Made Me Quit. (www.nytimes.com)

submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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One story that we couldn’t keep out of the press and that contributed most to my decision to walk away from my career in 2008 involved Nataline Sarkisyan, a 17-year-old leukemia patient in California whose scheduled liver transplant was postponed at the last minute when Cigna told her surgeons it wouldn’t pay. Cigna’s medical director, 2,500 miles away from Ms. Sarkisyan, said she was too sick for the procedure. Her family stirred up so much media attention that Cigna relented, but it was too late. She died a few hours after Cigna’s change of heart.

Ms. Sarkisyan’s death affected me personally and deeply. As a father, I couldn’t imagine the depth of despair her parents were facing. I turned in my notice a few weeks later. I could not in good conscience continue being a spokesman for an industry that was making it increasingly difficult for Americans to get often lifesaving care.

One of my last acts before resigning was helping to plan a meeting for investors and Wall Street financial analysts — similar to the one that UnitedHealthcare canceled after Mr. Thompson’s horrific killing. These annual investor days, like the consumerism idea I helped spread, reveal an uncomfortable truth about our health insurance system: that shareholders, not patient outcomes, tend to drive decisions at for-profit health insurance companies.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I suppose you're right- you are indeed not privileged; You are simply misguided in assuming living without insurance is either feasible or a wise decision. Just to be clear, I don't know where you get the idea that I'm making a lot of money right now. Likewise, I made an assumption based on how you presented yourself, because reasonable people, whether well off or not, don't think having zero insurance is the alternative to having bad insurance in the context of why healthcare execs are being offed- they would think that making healthcare options good for everyone is the way to go because the options are usually awful and they lack viable alternatives. Those same people may only see violence as the only means of achieving that goal and I'm probably more on their side of the fence on that-- based on history, violence almost always brings about change. This is not a new concept- as an example, the civil rights movement was not peaceful and I doubt much would have happened without forcing people's hand. That said, I don't consider healthcare a thing we should be "privileged" to have because it's a living necessity like food. You may survive for a while without it but when you run into a truly bad issue, you will realize you only got lucky and not everyone will be lucky; those same people may die in the current system. I hope you understand and I hope you understand why people won't share your vision. I wish you luck in your insuranceless life.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

You are simply misguided in assuming living without insurance is either feasible or a wise decision

I've never said it was feasible or wise. I'm saying that MILLIONS of people live without out. Which sucks. And if I had an insurance company that would deny every claim, then that's the same thing as not having insurance, and i would drop them.

I have went long periods of time without insurance. As soon as I retire in a few months, I'll will go through another spell of not having insurance because it's unaffordable. I've never said that was idea. That sucks.

I think the insurance company sucks.

But dude, FUCKING MURDERING CEO'S isn't the answer. You think it is. I don't think it is. End of story.

Also, this big "revolution" that Lemmy thinks is going to happen, won't happen. You guys are fucking dreaming and jerking off in an echo-chamber. Luigi is going to jail. The jury will not find him cool. And there is not going to be some big citizen change that's gonna happen which makes all CEO's fear for their lives and change their ways.

Change will come thru laws. And both the Dems and Repubs suck right now. So it's gonna take a while. Murder isn't going to do it. I promise.

Feel free to save my comment and come back in a few years and see if I'm right.

But here's the thing: I actually think you know I'm right. I think you know it and you are just frustrated but you think it's fun/interesting to discuss.

I agree the healthcare insurance industry sucks. Democrats did nothing to change it. Republicans will do nothing to change it. And murdering CEO's won't change it.