It has become abundantly clear to me that healthcare in the United States has little to do with your welfare or mine. It is about the flow of money. Out of our pockets and into the hands of the for-profit insurance industry and the other power center in America, banks and financial institutions.
The mind reels at the shameless exploitation of the American people.
This is what passes for normal in 2007 in the United States of America.
And this is why we must challenge our Congress (it belongs to us, not them), to expose this corruption to the American people. But since most of these fine congresspeople and U.S, Senators, are wholly owned by those they must investigate, making this happen won't be easy.
Are you surprised that the political class and I mean almost all of them, hiccups--or worse, does nothing?
John Conyers, lead the charge, we can't wait any longer.
I don't think it's overstepping to say that there is collusion between huge and powerful institutional players (financial institutions like Citibank, for example) in maintaining the private, for-profit healthcare system in the United States.
The collapse of our healthcare system, brings in big bucks for the financial institutions who profit from unaffordable healthcare, unreimbursed healthcare and uninsured Americans.
This morning there was an article in the New York Times about blogs where people discuss their credit card debt.
Here's a link. Debtors Search for Discipline via Blogs
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Since medical debt is is perhaps the number one reason for bankruptcy (certainly among low and middle income Americans, but who gives a shit about us anymore?), I thought reading these blogs would turn up some horrifying information.
In fact what I discovered is that large financial institutions like Citibank are cashing-in. There's a shit load of money to be made financing healthcare.
Here's how Citibank promotes its Citi Health credit card. By acknowledging the collapse of our system. By recognizing that in the United States healthcare is a pay to play system.
From the official Citibank web site:
For patients, the biggest obstacle to getting treatments is often financial concerns. Now you can improve sales and patient loyalty by offering affordable payment options with the Citi Health Card program. And the benefits don't stop there...
http://www.citibank.com/...
As an aside, let me say that it's often deeply demoralizing to write these diaries because every day I have to confront the reality that the political class feeds the American people a steady diet of deceit and bullshit. Almost all of them are truly amoral when it comes to honestly addressing the reasons for the collapse of our health system.
Take a look at the rationale Citibank uses to encourage doctors to sign up for Citi Health credit cards.
So physicians can "increase sales". Fucking, increase sales! Aren't we told over and over, especially by Mister Bush, that the number one priority in solving the healthcare crisis is to trim healthcare costs, not sell more "services"? Or, of course, tax cuts or tax credits will fix everything. What a pitiful liar he is.
The "rationale" behind his deceit about Health Savings Accounts is that it will cause Americans to become judicious healthcare consumers.
This is an abject lie.
The true reason he and his criminal cohorts promote Health Savings Accounts is to move money toward financial institutions, because HSAs require patients to spend their own money on healthcare. Well you can't spend it, if you don't have it, so what do you do? You get a Citi Health credit card.
Why should I offer patient financing if
I already accept major credit cards?
When financing options are available, patients usually choose more comprehensive treatments, because they can spread payments out over time. The payment plan options offered by the Citi Health Card program have been designed to increase sales and generate first time purchases. Plus, having a separate credit line for health care expenses allows patients to keep other credit available for personal use.
Is patient financing widely used?
. . .As insurance co-pays and deductibles increase, patients will increasingly have a need for a health care card to make treatments more affordable.
What is the real benefit of the Citi Health Card program for my practice?
First, it can help increase the number of procedures scheduled—with flexible monthly payments, patients have the opportunity to start treatments they might otherwise delay and enable them to choose more comprehensive treatments.
How do I know if my patients will want the Citi Health Card?
Ask them—some patients may be too embarrassed to ask if financing is available. The biggest obstacle to treatment acceptance is often affordability, so patients value the flexibility of low monthly payments, no down payment, and no annual fee. Plus, it can be used as needed for additional treatments and other family members, up to their credit limit.
http://www.citibank.com/...
Understand this well. All the health "reform" proposals (other than single payer), in no way violate the sanctity or the status quo of the for-profit health insurance industry. This is because our elected officials have no intention of disturbing the movement of dollars to the for-profit insurance industry or the financial services industry.
And how does Citibank lure in the heavily overburdened American consumer? Well, if you have cancer, you can't put off getting treated. But this is what Americans are forced to do all the time, unless that is, they have a Citi Health credit card.
Some things in life can be put off. Fortunately, quality health care doesn’t have to be one of them. The Citi Health Card makes treatments affordable right now, and the benefits really add up.
Easy to afford No Interest Payment Plans* and revolving credit option
Low monthly payments and no pre-payment penalties
No annual fee and no down payment required
Separate credit line for health care expenses keeps other credit available for personal use
http://www.citibank.com/...
And here's the fine print that is destroying Americans across the length of this country, thanks to our own Joe Biden, MBNA Delaware and others.
†With credit approval for purchases made on the Citi® Health Card. As of July 4, 2006, APR for regular revolve credit plan purchases 22.98%; Default Rate APR: 26.98% (rates may vary). Minimum FINANCE CHARGE $1.50. See Card Agreement for details. Offer is for individuals, not businesses. These No Interest Payment Plans may not be combined with any other credit promotional offer. Credit promotions are subject to change without notice.
And who else is cashing-in on our national disgrace? The thieves at UnitedHealth.
Tenet Healthcare Corp., the largest publicly traded hospital chain in the country, is attempting to deal with its employees’ escalating medical debts by offering them a line of credit.
Under the company’s pilot program in Texas, employees’ copayments for doctor visits and other healthcare services are paid through automatic payroll deductions.
The program is being offered in partnership with UnitedHealth Group, the large health insurance company that markets "health savings accounts."
Tenet hopes the program will help stem "the rising bad debt that is generated at a hospital from pa-tients who are not paying their portion of the medical bill," said Steven Campanini, a company spokes-man.
The Access Project/Demos analysis said medical debts should not be used to tarnish an individual’s credit rating, and that doctors and hospitals should be discouraged from marketing credit cards to pa-tients.
"Patients unable to pay their bills in full may feel obligated or pressured to accept the terms of credit offered by the very people or institutions that they look to for healing," the report said.
http://123guide.biz/...
Enough for today, frankly I'm ill.
Where and how this monumental and historic national scandal ends, I don't know.
But we are approaching the end game, and it's up to the American people to demand transparency and accountability.