Insurance Gouging
I told you my high deductible piece of crap health insurance plan is going up 30% next to $1395 a month. Well, I am not the only one who believes that gouging is going on:
A new complaint filed as part of a class-action lawsuit accuses the Indianapolis-based insurance company WellPoint, which recently changed its name to Anthem, of inflating customers’ premiums as part of a large health insurance monopoly.
The lawsuit claims WellPoint holds 61 percent of the health insurance market in Indiana as the result of an ‘illegal conspiracy.’
Court documents allege 37 other Blue Cross Blue Shield Association member health plans have agreed not compete with WellPoint in Indiana, as long as WellPoint limits its offerings in those companies’ geographic areas.
The lawsuit says the lack of competition in the state has led to skyrocketing premiums for WellPoint customers.
It seeks refunds for those inflated premiums.
“Because it is ongoing litigation, we can’t provide details of the case,” Senior Director of Public Relations Tony Felts said in an e-mail. “But we believe the lawsuit is baseless. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield model of service has been in place for more than 80 years and has been validated and enforced by numerous courts and regulatory agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.”
As much as I believe we are too litigious in the country, it is still about time someone sue the sh%t out of these lowlifes. And feel free to read into the total administralian speak that the PR guys spews. “Model of service?” My ass. And just because it has been validated by the court system doesn’t mean it isn’t a crime. I really hope they lose this case.
Thanks for running this story. Tony “the mouth” Felts had to cave after BC/Anthem had their feet held to the fire for not paying Docs in a timely manner.
WELL, say it ain’t so, Joe ! sooner or later it was bound to happen. Actually admitting that there might be a need for an attorney ! to protect rights OR to preserve the cherished myth of capitalism – competition ! NO business likes competition AND the inevitable result of a free market is oligopoly. lessons I was taught in Economics 201 in 1978. Sue the basturds! and didn’t Anthem have a data security breach ?? Nobody likes lawyers until they need one. Hope they nail ’em good.
Sadly, the only way for the individual to be heard is usually in court. Politics is designed for the large entities – insurance companies, states, conglomerates, pressure groups. The NRA, for instance, is a “person.” You are a bug, in the eyes of modern American existence. Commoditize, franchise, automate! This works the best in groups containing a few million souls. People trust the big entities today, and are suspicious of the individual. Humans can be evil, scary, dangerous, criminal. The BIG GROUP, not so. Like HHS. That’s how things work here – it’s not capitalism, it’s nearer to communism.
Steve: people don’t trust the big and SUPER BIG corps either ! they / we just don’t have any choice ! now Walgreen’s is buying Rite-Aid ! 1 less big competitor in the pharmacy business ! we have 1 of each, directly across the street from each other ! now 1 will close with 25-30 lost jobs and only 2 competitors – a small, local pharmacy and an in-store (grocery chain) pharmacy. no way either can price compete with the big W ! the rhetoric and platitudes of the politicians do not match reality, but we do nothing and vote for the same old “tribal leaders” they foist upon us in safe districts. advil should be selling well becuz of all the cognitive dissonance, but we gey caught up with gun control, immigration and planned parenthood while we get robbed by guys and gals in expensive suits.