A simple analogy quiz today:
Health Insurance is to Medical Care
as
Marriage is to ___________:
A.) connubial bliss at least once a day
B.) constant, lingering caresses
C.) daily, joyful flirtation with one’s soul mate
D.) Celibacy
If you chose “D,” you are correct.
Health insurance only means that you are paying for the “privilege” of having that specific status. It does not mean that you are entitled to medical care. It only means that you are theoretically eligible for medical care.
Just as a spouse can legally deny intimate access of their body to another spouse, a health insurance company can deny (and DOES deny, on a constant basis) prompt access to medical care.
“Denial of benefits” is likely to lead to a divorce court in the case of a marriage.
In the United States, however, HMO denial of benefits is imposed on those who pay for it without any possible recourse. There is no way to divorce oneself from a medical system that subjects a person to the constant violation of their dignity by forestalling medical treatment.
One of the Bob Dylan’s lines is “Is there a hole for me to get sick in?”
That about sums it up, wouldn’t you say?
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In case anyone is wondering, “Well, why don’t people file a complaint?”
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Don’t you understand that all you will get back is a form letter with boilerplate language about how the provider (be is Blue Shield or Kaiser) appreciates your evaluation of service and that it will take into account your comments as it works to improve its service?
Translation: We treated you badly and we got away with it. There was no penalty. No one investigated us. No fines were levied. Therefore, we continue to establish and refinforce the bottom line of how little service we can give and face no repercussions whatsoever. A complaint only helps the corporation give even worse service, since they learn how much they can get away with, with complete impunity.
“The Masters of War” are also the Chancellors of Health Care.
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Finally, if you believe this is just some isolated crank who sees health care as his chosen conspiracy theory, I would suggest you consult an article by a journalism enterprise that takes the truth seriously:
https://www.propublica.org/article/health-insurance-denials-breaking-state-laws
Insurance companies willfully and knowingly break the law. At the very least, they do not hesitate to violate the dignity and well-being of those whose labor has earned the right to access to health care.
About Bill Mohr