Insurance Companies Still Playing Dirty
Health insurers have forced consumers to pay billions of dollars in medical bills that the insurers themselves should have paid, according to a report released by the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee. Testimony provided by three heath-care specialists highlighted the tactics the insurance industry uses to avoid paying benefits they are contractual required to pay. Insurance companies routinely use fear tactics to confuse and mislead consumers about what benefits they are entitled to.
Wendell Potter, the former vice president of Cigna, testified that “insurers make paperwork confusing because they realize that people will just simply give up and not pursue it.” Potter went on to testify that he worries "that the industry's charm offensive, which is the most visible part of duplicitous and well-financed PR and lobbying campaigns, may well shape reform in a way that benefits Wall Street far more than average Americans."
Misinformation, through PR campaigns and outright lies to consumers is at the heart of the insurance crisis in America. I have previously highlighted the type of public misinformation campaigns insurance companies employ to increase their profits. It’s time to demand more accountability and transparency from insurance companies. Why should we continue to pay increased premiums for fewer benefits while the insurance companies continue to rake in profits?
