My small employer couldn't afford health insurance for me and two other workers. I paid for my husband's doctor visits out of pocket. The doctor decided we couldn't afford a $40 test and had no idea my husband had hepatitis C until it was too late. I had to file bankruptcy to keep the cabin I live in. Somethings should never be 'for profit'.
I knew insurance companies were callous, but your story id horrifying ... and as you state, not isolated. And for the thousands who do not have the resources to fight!!! I was raised a military child, so had socialized medicine all my childhood, and that has formed my outlook on life. As an R.N., I've supported the idea of Medicare for All, or whatever government-run medicine there is! Health care should be provided to each citizen, as part of their citizenship rights (really, anyone who needs it, visiting immigrants, asylum seekers, etc).
Hannah is such a brave little girl who had to suffer so others could get richer. Thank you for sharing your story. I'm so sorry this happened to you all. Thank you for fighting for your daughter. I am so sad for all those who continue to be victimized by these corporations.
President Reagan and Margaret Thatcher on order of the Wall Street and London centered financial elite brought in a " new: economic system, Share Holder Value" in 1981. This economic system is based on contiued profit making to be shared by investors. If the Corporation does not continously make greater and greater profits the investors just sells their shares, i.e. removes their investment and invests in another company that will increase their wealth, and maintain the " financial" bubble. The bubble must be fed to maintain inceased profit making, and you become the source of the profit.
Thank you for sharing this. I have experienced this a little bit years ago and had to play the insurance game. They don't care about us. They only care about the money in their pocket. It is disgusting and despicable. I shared this.
So sorry to learn about your daughter’s ordeal and your efforts to help her. Unfortunately, it’s not “healthcare” anymore, the insurance companies have turned it into a “revenue extraction model.”
I also have IBD -- in my case it's Ulcerative Colitis, diagnosed when I was 48. It's under control now, with Stelara, a biologic that is really easy for me -- it's injections rather than infusions, so I don't even have to go to the doctor's office. With that said, the specialty pharmacy that I am required to use by my insurance company (which not surprisingly is affiliated with the insurance company) does everything it can to make it difficult to impossible to obtain in a timely way. I have to argue with the insurer _and_ the pharmacy in order to get the medication. Every two months, I spend at least an hour on the phone.
One of my father's brothers died from complications of Crohn's and his daughter, my cousin, has a much more extensive case of UC than I do. I'm lucky that I was diagnosed within a few months of first showing symptoms -- so many people go much longer without a clear diagnosis.
Please let your lovely daughter know that she is not alone and better treatments are continuing to be sought for auto-immune disorders. The CRISPR technology is being used to treat a different auto-immune disorder in a trial in China, with some reported success. I feel very sure that, within Hannah's lifetime, a cure will be found. In the meantime, there are a number of online support groups, one very good one is on reddit.
Your daughter is so beautiful--truly a gift! I am sorry for all of the pain she has and continues to go through. My heart goes to you and your family as we fight these assholes and finally get universal healthcare for the sake of all our children! 🕊️♥️🤲
I witnessed firsthand the greed of health insurance companies.
After Trump won the first time around, I decided to leave my dead-end job and get into health care. I felt I was making a difference working at a Medicaid insurance company. I learned very quickly that I was so wrong. I saw what the members had to endure to get their needed care. In one case (and I will try to be as vague as possible), there were siblings who both had a debilitating disease. They both needed medication, which would cost the insurance company a lot of money and they kept denying the treatment. With no medical background, I researched the drug and found that the medication was almost a necessity for this disease. The parents were persistent for two years until the drug was finally approved. Around the same time, the insurance company hired a new CEO to turn around the health insurance company, as it was losing money. Several months prior, the insurance company laid off several people, with the offensive term "Project Nickel," - insinuating that people's livelihoods were just pocket change. Fast forward five years, and this CEO is now one of the highest-paying health insurance executives in the country.
I always think about that family. I am so sorry you went through this, as well.
My small employer couldn't afford health insurance for me and two other workers. I paid for my husband's doctor visits out of pocket. The doctor decided we couldn't afford a $40 test and had no idea my husband had hepatitis C until it was too late. I had to file bankruptcy to keep the cabin I live in. Somethings should never be 'for profit'.
I knew insurance companies were callous, but your story id horrifying ... and as you state, not isolated. And for the thousands who do not have the resources to fight!!! I was raised a military child, so had socialized medicine all my childhood, and that has formed my outlook on life. As an R.N., I've supported the idea of Medicare for All, or whatever government-run medicine there is! Health care should be provided to each citizen, as part of their citizenship rights (really, anyone who needs it, visiting immigrants, asylum seekers, etc).
Hannah is such a brave little girl who had to suffer so others could get richer. Thank you for sharing your story. I'm so sorry this happened to you all. Thank you for fighting for your daughter. I am so sad for all those who continue to be victimized by these corporations.
Wow....just wow. As a father of 4 daughters, I can't imagine how hard this was and still is currently. Thank you for sharing.
President Reagan and Margaret Thatcher on order of the Wall Street and London centered financial elite brought in a " new: economic system, Share Holder Value" in 1981. This economic system is based on contiued profit making to be shared by investors. If the Corporation does not continously make greater and greater profits the investors just sells their shares, i.e. removes their investment and invests in another company that will increase their wealth, and maintain the " financial" bubble. The bubble must be fed to maintain inceased profit making, and you become the source of the profit.
And that folks, is the fight.
Also, I'm so grateful that Hannah is well. My daughter's name is Hannah Joy and I named her because of what her name means. And today is her birthday.
Thank you for sharing this. I have experienced this a little bit years ago and had to play the insurance game. They don't care about us. They only care about the money in their pocket. It is disgusting and despicable. I shared this.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees"
La Passionaria of the Spanish Civil War
"The Civil War, and the Foreign One, have MURDERED bourgeois liberalism in its official robes"
Andrew Kopkind, the New York Review of Books, August 1967
https://davidgottfried.substack.com/p/in-praise-of-luigi-mangione-slayer
Outrageous!
I’m so sorry to read of your child’s suffering.
And yes, what of the families that don’t know experts?
So sorry to learn about your daughter’s ordeal and your efforts to help her. Unfortunately, it’s not “healthcare” anymore, the insurance companies have turned it into a “revenue extraction model.”
Thank you for sharing this story. So many stories like this one and unless it happens to you, most people don't know.
I also have IBD -- in my case it's Ulcerative Colitis, diagnosed when I was 48. It's under control now, with Stelara, a biologic that is really easy for me -- it's injections rather than infusions, so I don't even have to go to the doctor's office. With that said, the specialty pharmacy that I am required to use by my insurance company (which not surprisingly is affiliated with the insurance company) does everything it can to make it difficult to impossible to obtain in a timely way. I have to argue with the insurer _and_ the pharmacy in order to get the medication. Every two months, I spend at least an hour on the phone.
One of my father's brothers died from complications of Crohn's and his daughter, my cousin, has a much more extensive case of UC than I do. I'm lucky that I was diagnosed within a few months of first showing symptoms -- so many people go much longer without a clear diagnosis.
Please let your lovely daughter know that she is not alone and better treatments are continuing to be sought for auto-immune disorders. The CRISPR technology is being used to treat a different auto-immune disorder in a trial in China, with some reported success. I feel very sure that, within Hannah's lifetime, a cure will be found. In the meantime, there are a number of online support groups, one very good one is on reddit.
Outside the USA, there ARE NO DEATH THREATS nor murders of healthcare executives, because nothing would motivate anything like that, cf Norway: https://open.substack.com/pub/egberto/p/what-healthcare-looks-like-in-norway?r=f0bj9&utm_medium=ios
Your daughter is so beautiful--truly a gift! I am sorry for all of the pain she has and continues to go through. My heart goes to you and your family as we fight these assholes and finally get universal healthcare for the sake of all our children! 🕊️♥️🤲
I witnessed firsthand the greed of health insurance companies.
After Trump won the first time around, I decided to leave my dead-end job and get into health care. I felt I was making a difference working at a Medicaid insurance company. I learned very quickly that I was so wrong. I saw what the members had to endure to get their needed care. In one case (and I will try to be as vague as possible), there were siblings who both had a debilitating disease. They both needed medication, which would cost the insurance company a lot of money and they kept denying the treatment. With no medical background, I researched the drug and found that the medication was almost a necessity for this disease. The parents were persistent for two years until the drug was finally approved. Around the same time, the insurance company hired a new CEO to turn around the health insurance company, as it was losing money. Several months prior, the insurance company laid off several people, with the offensive term "Project Nickel," - insinuating that people's livelihoods were just pocket change. Fast forward five years, and this CEO is now one of the highest-paying health insurance executives in the country.
I always think about that family. I am so sorry you went through this, as well.
Your poor dear daughter! I hope she is able to get some stability back in her health. I hope your family is feeling less stressed as a result.❤️