Cross posted on Daily Kos
Is anyone surprised?
I’ve always hesitated before filing a claim. I knew in my gut that filing an insurance claim could condemn you to a black list.
Doubt no longer.
Seems some unlucky citizens in California lose their Blue Cross insurance simply for filing a claim.
The state’s largest health insurer systematically — and illegally — cancels coverage retroactively for people who need expensive care, 10 former Blue Cross members claimed in lawsuits filed Monday.
Little did I think that having the bad taste and bad luck to get sick and then file a claim would get you terminated.
The suits, filed simultaneously in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, allege that Blue Cross of California and Blue Cross Life & Health operate a “retroactive review department” devoted to finding ways the company can escape its obligations to members who become seriously sick.
Kind of takes your breath away.
This was not one poor schmuck who got unlucky. We’re talking systemic. A whole department at Blue Cross whose mission is to terminate sick people–who file claims.
“Blue Cross’ conduct is particularly reprehensible because it was part of a repeated corporate practice and not an isolated occurrence,” according to the suits. The former members seek compensation, damages and court orders prohibiting the alleged practice.
We all know that having any insurance is a great privilege in America in 2006. We also know that insurance companies have zero regard for your health, only their bottom line. Insurance companies do not like you, they want your monthly premium. Period.
The grotesque business practices of Blue Cross of California bear scrutiny by all of us. It demonstrates a new, deadly wrinkle in the healthcare/insurance nightmare faced by millions of Americans. Now getting sick is a crime, filing a claim is lethal.
Although similar complaints have targeted health insurers for years, the suits may be the first to accuse Blue Cross of having a system to improperly dump patients once they become too costly, said William Shernoff, a Claremont attorney representing the patients.
Today it’s Christie:
Christie Bewley of Whittier said Blue Cross dumped her after her physician discovered she had ovarian cysts. According to the suit, she has been unable to afford to obtain a diagnosis since losing her coverage.
Tomorrow it could be you or me. Withdrawn. It will be you or me. Count on it.
You can read the entire sad article here: