(no subject)

[lapsedmodernist]

http://www.mercurynews.com/lifeandstyleheadlines/ci_8247947

Facing a torrent of criticism Tuesday, Blue Cross of California abruptly halted its practice of asking physicians in a letter to look for medical conditions that could be used to cancel patients' insurance coverage.

In a statement issued about 6 p.m., the state's largest for-profit insurer said, "Today we reached out to our provider partners and California regulators and determined this letter is no longer necessary and, in fact, was creating a misimpression and causing some members and providers undue concern.

"As a result, we are discontinuing the dissemination of this letter going forward."

translation: "we didn't think people would notice...okay, we will try again later when no one is looking"

I sincerely hope that anyone who chooses to work for a for-profit health insurance company in the United States today, and willingly acts as a gear/oil in the machine that takes away sick people's health insurance dies from a slow, painful cancer, which would be curable, except that their insurance won't cover the costs of treatment.

Comments

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

pure. evil.

[twotoedsloth.livejournal.com]

Actually, the only person I've know to work for an insurance company was doing so because she had cancer, and needed health insurance, and it was the only job she could get. Her job? She was the person who had to explain, by phone, to desperately ill people that their now disabling or fatal illness was not, in fact, covered by their insurance.

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

that's...ironic?

hey good luck tomorrow. call me if you want tomorrow night and we can debrief.

[twotoedsloth.livejournal.com]

Actually, I got confused. I go next week, not this week. How did yours go?

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

It went okay, I think. It's hard to tell with these things. NB the department is on a weird "secret" fourth floor, so if you go in through the main entrance of the building like I did you will spend some time wandering confused around the fourth floor looking for it...it's up some side stairs and separate from the main fourth floor. Which day are you going? Also they are interviewing five people not three.

[twotoedsloth.livejournal.com]

I'm going on Thursday. Ooo ... weird secret fourth floor. Interviewing five candidates, huh? I guess since they don't have to take anyone out to dinner...

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

There were sandwiches. I wonder who the other three are...if you are next Thursday then you are the last, which is nice in the sense that you will have the least amount of time of waiting for them to decide...by the way have you relocated yet? I am sorry I didn't call you while in NYC, I was (and still am) terribly sick ,and the only way I got through the interview was by basically doping up on vast amounts of cold medicine.

[twotoedsloth.livejournal.com]

Yup, sandwiches. One of those really high budget searches. Where was the white limo? Where was the $30 sushi dinner, in which you carefully don't order a second sake just in case you get tipsy enough to say something really stupid? Damn tightwad Catholics! Not even Jesuits... I mean, who the hell are the Vincentians anyway?

No, I haven't moved yet. still need to sublet this place, and probably bring the dog to Mexico.

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

no white limo, but one of their grad students gave me a ride to the subway, which was nice, as it was freezing. Do you know which class you are teaching? I was quite impressed by the students, I have to say, but mine was a upper-level theory class.

is the gal now in Mexico? temporarily? permanently? I am out of the loop. By the way, I talked to your friend P at that publishing house, and he said that a really good person for me to talk to would be your editor, as D. Press does a lot with both Latin America and tourism. He suggested that I first get in touch with someone who is editing a series for them, but they are incommunicado. Do you think it would make sense to send her (?) an email directly?

[twotoedsloth.livejournal.com]

Sure, why not? I must say, though, that for some reason she has been really really slow in answering emails this year. She's really nice, though.

What's the series?

[twotoedsloth.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, and as for gal... very complicated situation. The upshot is that she has to stay in Mexico for at least the next couple of months, at which point I will probably go to spend the summer in Mexico anyway. I'm filled with guilt over whether to visit Mexico over spring break, or visit my mother. Oy!

[amberskyfire.livejournal.com]

I have long been sincerely angry with insurance companies in this country and though I wish the government would get on the ball and regulate it, I also realize that having the government control it wouldn't be the answer at all.

I can't STAND that people are expected to pay for healthcare. Of all the things in the world, we shouldn't have to pay to keep from dying. Of all the things in life that the Government socializes, you'd think healthcare would be the very first one.

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

I also realize that having the government control it wouldn't be the answer at all.

why not? That's what normal countries like Canada and Sweden and Denmark and France etc. do. Or do you mean our "government"?

[amberskyfire.livejournal.com]

I mean OUR government.

I wouldn't trust them to lead a parade let alone an entire country.