Recent comments

I am watching Bill Moyers interview with Wendell Potter, it is a real eye opener, he should be on the front page of every newspaper in the country, the guy gave up a cushy job to speak out about the slimy practices of the healthcare industry. Go Wendell!

Mr. Potter, Please do not ignore the desperate need for disability insurance (erisa) reform in healthcare discussions. This would be like continuing to allow the most ill amoung us to be slaughtered by the insurance industry. The average american is not aware that they are purchasing a faulty product when they buy disabilty insurance or they don't even own it (only 40% of the workforce has disability insurance). With illness/injury being the #1 cause of foreclosure prior to the recent mortgage crisis, everyone needs disability coverage they can count on. The media has done an attrocious job of covering the facts on this subject. I know we are talking really big bucks for the industry. In 2006 alone, Unem alone denied 250,000 disability claims. Industry whistleblowers state insurers cutoff for claim approval is no more that 60%, regardless of the validity of the claim. I put myself through college, was a competitive athlete, and had a very successful corporate carreer for over a decade before becoming ill. I recieved short term disability through my employer and then was promptly denied ltd by Cigna. I was also denied ssd. It took 3 years for both my ssd trial and the trial with Cigna. During that time I tried repeatedly to do different types of work but my uncontrolled symptoms would stop me in my tracks. I depleted my 401K and savings and had less than $100 in my bank account by my court dates. I won both but my court costs were devastating. Then a few years later, Cigna denied me again. The average american does not understand that legal fees for the insurer are negligible - about 20k or so. (compare that to paying benefits for the claimant until retirement age). But to the sick person who probably has to hire an attorney on contingency, the stakes are much higher - my fees each time have been around 80K. I won the second time around and once again the judge ruled that Cigna pay interest and reasonable attorney fees. "Reasonable" is only reasonable to the insurer. And dont forget that after you win, the insurer will make you sign a non disclosure statement so no one hears about this crime. Then there are IRS problems. When folks are forced to live off their 401K there are heavy fines. When you get your lump sum payment you are now in alternative minimum tax. In 03 it meant I was taxed on the 80K of attorney fees that were an important part of my monthly benefit. Also, when one becomes ill, often the most reasonable option is self employment because you can set your own hours - of course this is the type of business that most often gets audited. I know first hand that auditors can be tyrant, They can demand whatever they want, even if they know it wont hold up in court. (who can afford to go?) Note that the sick person has stumbled into two areas now where if you go to court and win, you still have to fork out legal fees. So, I had to go to court with the IRS, for an issue I was told by more than one accountant that it never should have gone to court. I won, but it cost me 40K in legal fees. I never would have been there if I hadnt become ill. Bringing my legal fees alone to $200,000 for being ill. And I'm not done with the IRS. They say I owe 70K, if you knew the circumstances, you would be outraged. I will probalby loose my home now,despite getting the lump sum owed to me by Cigna. Obama has said that they were going to be more flexible with offer and compromises when dealing with folks that may lose their homes due to health issues. That is not what I and my accountants/attorneys are seeing. Bottom line: the legal process is financially devastating for the disabled once the insurance company has denied them. The industry is unregulated in this area and there are no consumer protection laws. Then the IRS gives the knock out punch if the insurers hasnt done the disabled in. All of this is unneccessary. For example, there are simple tests that could utilized to prove the degree of disability - thereby protecting both the ill and the employer/insurer from fraud. But with most of America not concerned about this area since most can't concieve of becoming disabled, the voice of the seriously ill will not be heard. And America will continue to either be vulnerable, or just have their pockets picked. Please contact me regarding the important story I have to share. I feel like I am a war victim. The only positive thing that can come from me going through this is to help prevent it from happening to others.