Some months ago I injured my shoulder with repetitive activity. After it didn't get better for several weeks, I went to my doctor about it. As I signed in, I paid my $10 co-pay for the visit. Even though he decided that it was only stressed tissue, he had me get an x-ray also. Today, my insurance company sent me an "explanation of benefits".
The "amount you owe" is a $9.22 co-pay for the x-ray.
I have two questions.
First, why wasn't I asked to make a second co-pay at the time of my visit? This also happens when I have the ultrasound check of my heart. The cardiology department asks only for a $10 co-pay for the doctor visit, but I always get billed for a co-pay for the ultrasound.
Second, how much does it cost the clinic and the insurance company and Medicare to calculate all this, move the information among themselves, and mail me an "explanation of benefits? I bet it is far more than the co-pay and probably a good chunk of the total cost.
The good side is that I have been getting this care without "prior approval", from the insurance company or Medicare. Others are not so fortunate. Read "Deadly Spin" by Wendell Potter. Some might die because an insurance company came between them and their doctors.
Showing posts with label Wendell Potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wendell Potter. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, July 17, 2011
You are being manipulated, lied to, and bamboozled! Here's how
So you think the U.S. has the best health care system in the world, that free enterprise made this country great and any government intervention stifles free enterprise, and you think that we don't have global warming but maybe climate change, then you are being manipulated, lied to, and bamboozled by the spin doctors of large corporations. They are putting out big bucks in advertising to get us to see things their way and big bucks in campaign contributions and lobbying to have governments do things their way. Forget, "We the People".
The writers of the U. S. Constitution used "people" in the sense of communities. When they meant individuals they used "persons" or "citizens". Large corporations don't want communities, whether they are unions, co-operatives, or any other group where people come together for their common economic interest. They want isolated individuals to whom they can target their messages.
I've long suspected that corporate interests aren't my interests, or even many others interests, but I've become strongly aware of this after reading three books on corporate manipulation of us and our elected officials.
The first was "Deadly Spin" by Wendell Potter on how the health insurance companies work to minimize their payouts and maximize their profits, even if it gives bad health outcomes to their customers. I have already written about this book; see "Benefits - Getting mad at the wrong people?"
The second is "23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism" by Ha-Joon Chang. Chang's first Thing is "There is no such thing as a free market", that is individuals acting in their own best interest. This free market idea simplifies individuals into economic entities without complex personalities.
The third is "Life, Inc., How the World Became a Corporation and How to Take it Back" by Douglas Rushkoff. His starting point is how limited liability corporations started and what they enabled. Like any good idea, this has morphed into a monster that "The People" can't control.
If you can stomach reading about the manipulations, you might find these books very informative and fascinating. If you're reading this blog, you probably see the world as a more complex place than the spin doctors would have us believe. These books might give you more information to counter the spin doctors. If you think the world is relatively simple, then please read these books before you vote again.
The writers of the U. S. Constitution used "people" in the sense of communities. When they meant individuals they used "persons" or "citizens". Large corporations don't want communities, whether they are unions, co-operatives, or any other group where people come together for their common economic interest. They want isolated individuals to whom they can target their messages.
I've long suspected that corporate interests aren't my interests, or even many others interests, but I've become strongly aware of this after reading three books on corporate manipulation of us and our elected officials.
The first was "Deadly Spin" by Wendell Potter on how the health insurance companies work to minimize their payouts and maximize their profits, even if it gives bad health outcomes to their customers. I have already written about this book; see "Benefits - Getting mad at the wrong people?"
The second is "23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism" by Ha-Joon Chang. Chang's first Thing is "There is no such thing as a free market", that is individuals acting in their own best interest. This free market idea simplifies individuals into economic entities without complex personalities.
The third is "Life, Inc., How the World Became a Corporation and How to Take it Back" by Douglas Rushkoff. His starting point is how limited liability corporations started and what they enabled. Like any good idea, this has morphed into a monster that "The People" can't control.
If you can stomach reading about the manipulations, you might find these books very informative and fascinating. If you're reading this blog, you probably see the world as a more complex place than the spin doctors would have us believe. These books might give you more information to counter the spin doctors. If you think the world is relatively simple, then please read these books before you vote again.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Deadly spin on taxes - a modified Coffee Party petition
The Coffee Party has a form letter at http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/congress-taxpayer to send to Congress to ask them to work for the taxpayers and not the large corporations. I sent the following modified version of the suggested form letter.
As too many members of Congress work for a government of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations, please consider that it is people who cast the votes and that you were elected by a minority of the eligible voters. Please also consider: you are fighting over how to spend our money. We the People pay 33.7% of the Federal Fund while corporations pay 7.2%. Many corporations pay no taxes at all. Yet your entire focus during this budget battle has been on how much to hurt the people.
If you haven't read it yet, I hope you can read "Deadly Spin" by Wendell Potter. The author just gives example after example of how big corporations are giving anti-factual spin to anything that hurts their overly generous self-determined compensation. And they often do it under the smokescreen that they will create jobs. About the only jobs they are creating are jobs for their lobbyists and tax accountants
We did not cause the recession, the deficit, or the national debt. We know this, and we need you to know that we are aware of a corrupt system in which corporations spend their vast wealth to lobby and manipulate you.
We know that's why the tax code so unjustly burdens us while favoring them. We know this is why Elizabeth Warren and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are under attack from the US Chamber of Commerce and other powerful lobbyists. We know that is why your policies reward multinational corporations, including those that DID cause the recession, with bailouts, bonuses, and tax benefits.
Congress should work together on how to help us, not fight over how to hurt us.
P.S. to Congressional staff. Please do not respond with boilerplate to this semi-boilerplate.
As too many members of Congress work for a government of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations, please consider that it is people who cast the votes and that you were elected by a minority of the eligible voters. Please also consider: you are fighting over how to spend our money. We the People pay 33.7% of the Federal Fund while corporations pay 7.2%. Many corporations pay no taxes at all. Yet your entire focus during this budget battle has been on how much to hurt the people.
If you haven't read it yet, I hope you can read "Deadly Spin" by Wendell Potter. The author just gives example after example of how big corporations are giving anti-factual spin to anything that hurts their overly generous self-determined compensation. And they often do it under the smokescreen that they will create jobs. About the only jobs they are creating are jobs for their lobbyists and tax accountants
We did not cause the recession, the deficit, or the national debt. We know this, and we need you to know that we are aware of a corrupt system in which corporations spend their vast wealth to lobby and manipulate you.
We know that's why the tax code so unjustly burdens us while favoring them. We know this is why Elizabeth Warren and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are under attack from the US Chamber of Commerce and other powerful lobbyists. We know that is why your policies reward multinational corporations, including those that DID cause the recession, with bailouts, bonuses, and tax benefits.
Congress should work together on how to help us, not fight over how to hurt us.
P.S. to Congressional staff. Please do not respond with boilerplate to this semi-boilerplate.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Benefits - Getting mad at the wrong people?
Tony Sheda wrote an interesting "Local View" in today's Duluth News Tribune. The editors titled it "It's upsetting to pay so others can get better salaries, benefits".
He relates how he left being a union carpenter to have his own business. He sometimes could not put into his IRA all that he would have liked. He has catastrophic health insurance so that his premiums are lower. He has had to pay a $5,000 premium and had $5,000 deductibles.
He is unhappy that his taxes are going to pay for better pay and benefits for public employees than he has.
I think his ire is misdirected. He would be really mad if he read Wendell Potter's "Deadly Spin". Potter is a former PR executive for CIGNA, one of the big health insurers. Potter got fed up with making the health insurers look like they really cared about people's health. He wrote how consolidation and concentration of power has led to huge salaries and benefits for insurance company executives while trying to pay out as little as possible of the premiums they were raking in.
Remember William McGuire of United HealthCare with his million plus salary, the huge number of stock options he received, and the manipulation to backdate those options so that he paid even less for his stock.
Now there is something to "get mad at having to pay so others can get better pay and benefits than we do."
He relates how he left being a union carpenter to have his own business. He sometimes could not put into his IRA all that he would have liked. He has catastrophic health insurance so that his premiums are lower. He has had to pay a $5,000 premium and had $5,000 deductibles.
He is unhappy that his taxes are going to pay for better pay and benefits for public employees than he has.
I think his ire is misdirected. He would be really mad if he read Wendell Potter's "Deadly Spin". Potter is a former PR executive for CIGNA, one of the big health insurers. Potter got fed up with making the health insurers look like they really cared about people's health. He wrote how consolidation and concentration of power has led to huge salaries and benefits for insurance company executives while trying to pay out as little as possible of the premiums they were raking in.
Remember William McGuire of United HealthCare with his million plus salary, the huge number of stock options he received, and the manipulation to backdate those options so that he paid even less for his stock.
Now there is something to "get mad at having to pay so others can get better pay and benefits than we do."
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