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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

And Words Are Made To Bend
Posted by Tata | 9:36 AM

Watch CBS News Videos Online

This morning, I watched the re-airing of part of this report on CBS' Early Show and I was struck by the language of the video piece and the framing within the show. This morning's report more blatantly slathered on the talking points than what I was able to find on CBS' website. I really couldn't believe my ears.

Anchor Maggie Rodriguez introduced the piece with remarks about how a new insurance industry study out yesterday indicates that without individual mandates premium costs for families would increase an average of $4000. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the insurance companies would issue such a report, but the report itself is not the question the video is about. No. That question is: are the insurance companies happy?

I was getting ready for work and very busy, but I stopped what I was doing to make sure I was hearing this right. At the end of the video, the reporter - Chip Reid, I guess - said that for now the insurance companies were still at the table. Rodriguez, though, actually asked what we can do to make the insurance companies happy.

Let's speak plainly: there's no need for health insurance at all. People do not need health insurance. People need health care. Health insurance companies as for-profit businesses actually deny customers the needed service to make that profit, so customers by definition cannot buy what they need. Even common decency is too much to ask.



I don't give a flying fuck if the insurance companies are happy. In fact, if it were up to me, we'd burn the system to the ground and prosecute the executives, as we created a national health service, where everyone regardless of means was treated exactly the same way. That would be justice. That would be the fulfillment of the Constitutional promise to promote the general welfare. That would be the cheapest, smartest business model for America.

Instead, we're left to ponder the happiness of the motherfuckers stealing our money and our lives.


Crossposted at Poor Impulse Control.
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4 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Ask yourself, now if I were an insurance company official in charge of investing the funds that my evil coworkers have lured in, how would I do it?

Yes, that's right.  No one ever mentions that the insurance companies are broke, they were in the hustles and cons as deep as anyone.  Think AIG was bad, check the books of the other insurance companies.  They own trillions of dollars worth of homes that are not worth anything in today's market.  Their liquidity is zero.  They always loved those mortgages, just totally loved them. 

Now do you understand why all of the insurance companies have dropped off the honesty scale?  When people realize that they aren't just denying health care claims, that they actually cannot pay the claims then all of the last couple of years make sense.  Right? 

Their vaults are not full of gold, or treasuries, or anything except huge piles of worthless mortgages and all of their associated worthless paper.

Rather than hiring an auditing firm to check their books, they bribe them to put out nonsense.

I would be willing to bet that the insurance companies that have the worst record on turning down claims are running on a hope that the premium payments will cover payroll this month.

It would, also, explain why the creatures in the black lagoon of Washington are fighting frantically to keep the insurance companies from being forced to liquidate.
10/13/09, 12:25 PM  
Anonymous tata said...
Burn the system to the ground and prosecute the executives.

It's time.
10/13/09, 12:50 PM  
Blogger Rhode Island Rules said...
Absolutely! Life or death should not be based on profit. A country should have the welfare of its people at an utmost concern if for no other reason than to stop pandemics before they start, grow healthy soldiers for unnecessary wars and save companies money by workers taking fewer sick days.
Get rid of health "insurance" which isn't insured at all and put the workers to work processing single payer health claims for the government.
10/13/09, 8:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Anon #1,

As I understand the law in most [all!?] states, insurance companies must have secure reserves to cover claims. If they are truly as insolvent as you suggest then all are guilty of fraud and should be prosecuted.

I note however that nothing you suggest is slowing their payment of exhorbitant executive bonuses. Or their political contributions.
10/14/09, 11:21 AM  
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