If you read my posts at all you know that I don’t wear my political views on my sleeve, nor post about how everyone on the other side is an idiot. In fact, I think such posts are counter-productive. I want to win people to the cause I believe is right, not deliver an insult that makes me feel superior.
So this post isn’t for or against Obama’s healthcare legislation. This is about one simple issue on which maybe, just maybe, there can be bipartisan agreement. Here it is: Healthcare providers should not have the right or ability to take back money for a treatment, unless they can prove fraud.
I’ve had some personal experience with this. We obtained treatment through Humana. We talked to the providers, went to the place they recommended and saw the doctors there for several months. Eventually, Humana came back and told us they shouldn’t have paid, and they took back all the money. I appealed the decision through my employer, and the decision to take back the money was upheld. After the appeal, a person from Humana called me up to talk about the problem. He all but called me an idiot for not reading the laws and coverage terms more carefully.
In my case, the cost was several thousand dollars. It was painful, but it didn’t break me. I know other people with similar experiences for whom it was much worse. Think about this means. We all have the responsibility for knowing all the rules about our medical coverage spelled out by our state and by providers, or we can be made to pay the full amount for any medical procedure at some later date. As far as I can see, all of us are vulnerable. We should do something about this.