One story that we couldn’t keep out of the press and that contributed most to my decision to walk away from my career in 2008 involved Nataline Sarkisyan, a 17-year-old leukemia patient in California whose scheduled liver transplant was postponed at the last minute when Cigna told her surgeons it wouldn’t pay. Cigna’s medical director, 2,500 miles away from Ms. Sarkisyan, said she was too sick for the procedure. Her family stirred up so much media attention that Cigna relented, but it was too late. She died a few hours after Cigna’s change of heart.
Ms. Sarkisyan’s death affected me personally and deeply. As a father, I couldn’t imagine the depth of despair her parents were facing. I turned in my notice a few weeks later. I could not in good conscience continue being a spokesman for an industry that was making it increasingly difficult for Americans to get often lifesaving care.
One of my last acts before resigning was helping to plan a meeting for investors and Wall Street financial analysts — similar to the one that UnitedHealthcare canceled after Mr. Thompson’s horrific killing. These annual investor days, like the consumerism idea I helped spread, reveal an uncomfortable truth about our health insurance system: that shareholders, not patient outcomes, tend to drive decisions at for-profit health insurance companies.
I mean, you are right, murder shouldn’t be the way to change this. But one has to look at the whole thing and wonder, can it change through non-violent means at all? People have been long complaining about the system, there’s groups advocating for universal/free healthcare for a long time. How much change did that bring? Maybe the murder will have similar small impact in the long run, we will have to see. But then actions will just get increasingly more extreme over time.
Doesn’t matter. I will never advocate murder. I don’t care what the argument is. If you don’t like a product, then don’t use it. But don’t fucking murder a person walking down the street because you are pissed at the company he works for.
Thank God that most of society doesn’t think the way Lemmy does when it comes to this subject!
I had a shit insurance company. They never paid any of my claims. So you know what I did? I dropped them. I went uninsured because the insurance company wasn’t doing shit. So I stopped giving them money.
And you know what? If everyone did that, then the health insurance company would go out of business. You don’t HAVE to pay for health insurance if you feel it’s denying every fucking claim. Because if they are denying every claim, then you don’t really have health insurance. So you are no worse off for not having it.
The Democrats didn’t do shit about it. The Republicans didn’t do shit about it. But if we all stopped paying premiums, then guess what? People would wake up.
But you don’t fucking murder people to make your point. I don’t give a fuck what your point is.
Luigi committed murder. The jury won’t let him off just because they don’t like insurance companies. I hope he gets life in prison. Lemmy can feel free to write him all the fan letters they want, but doesn’t change my mind about it.
Don’t they also go to great lengths to conceal information on their practices? And for most people what health insurance is available depends on their employer? There are a lot of obstacles to the public being sufficiently informed and able to exercise agency to solve this from a consumer level. Not to say you’re wrong about murder not being a good solution to this though.
Indeed. It’s a very privileged idea that “If you don’t like someone’s services, you’re free to shop around until you find something you’re comfortable with.”
This only applies to the rich. Everyone else is fucked over by monopolies.
You think I like having Spectrum Internet? There’s no other game in town that provides internet to this street. You think I like having health insurance that completely ignores my teeth? It’s all I can afford.
Then have the balls to not have internet. How far are you willing to go to stand up for yourself?
But fucking murder is too far. Do you think someone should fucking murder the Spectrum CEO? Lots of Lemmy do think that. And it’s fucking disgusting.
I don’t think they’re saying to murder spectrum, but maybe you can see the parallel between people who can’t choose the healthcare they can get and those who can? The vast majority of people get it through their employer and healthcare is expensive. “Switching company” is simply not an option for most people, so when their claims are denied, they might be being told to die. In contrast, I simply care little for the jackass that took advantage of everyone and ran into karma. Not saying we have to murder ceos, but I won’t feel bad for them. As someone said previously, your “go somewhere else” speech just screams privilege.
And that’s fine in my eyes. But many on Lemmy are openly advocating for murder and some have even been saying that there needs to be a hitlist. That’s my issue.
And how am I “privileged”? I work for minimum wage as a teacher’s assistant at an elementary school. I make far, FAR less that the average Lemmy poster. And I’m older, so I get to face ageism too. And I grew up in poverty.
I’ve went without insurance most of my life, friend. And I’ve usually made too little to pay for private insurance, but too much for medicare.
My “go somewhere else” is based on if every claim was getting denied, I would just drop insurance. Because if every claim is getting denied, I’m not really having insurance am I?
What part of my life do you think is “privileged”? lmao
I make less than you. I have always made less than you do.
The vast majority of Lemmy is “privileged,” and so much so, that they don’t even have context for what that word means.
I suppose you’re right- you are indeed not privileged; You are simply misguided in assuming living without insurance is either feasible or a wise decision. Just to be clear, I don’t know where you get the idea that I’m making a lot of money right now. Likewise, I made an assumption based on how you presented yourself, because reasonable people, whether well off or not, don’t think having zero insurance is the alternative to having bad insurance in the context of why healthcare execs are being offed- they would think that making healthcare options good for everyone is the way to go because the options are usually awful and they lack viable alternatives. Those same people may only see violence as the only means of achieving that goal and I’m probably more on their side of the fence on that-- based on history, violence almost always brings about change. This is not a new concept- as an example, the civil rights movement was not peaceful and I doubt much would have happened without forcing people’s hand. That said, I don’t consider healthcare a thing we should be “privileged” to have because it’s a living necessity like food. You may survive for a while without it but when you run into a truly bad issue, you will realize you only got lucky and not everyone will be lucky; those same people may die in the current system. I hope you understand and I hope you understand why people won’t share your vision. I wish you luck in your insuranceless life.
I’ve never said it was feasible or wise. I’m saying that MILLIONS of people live without out. Which sucks. And if I had an insurance company that would deny every claim, then that’s the same thing as not having insurance, and i would drop them.
I have went long periods of time without insurance. As soon as I retire in a few months, I’ll will go through another spell of not having insurance because it’s unaffordable. I’ve never said that was idea. That sucks.
I think the insurance company sucks.
But dude, FUCKING MURDERING CEO’S isn’t the answer. You think it is. I don’t think it is. End of story.
Also, this big “revolution” that Lemmy thinks is going to happen, won’t happen. You guys are fucking dreaming and jerking off in an echo-chamber. Luigi is going to jail. The jury will not find him cool. And there is not going to be some big citizen change that’s gonna happen which makes all CEO’s fear for their lives and change their ways.
Change will come thru laws. And both the Dems and Repubs suck right now. So it’s gonna take a while. Murder isn’t going to do it. I promise.
Feel free to save my comment and come back in a few years and see if I’m right.
But here’s the thing: I actually think you know I’m right. I think you know it and you are just frustrated but you think it’s fun/interesting to discuss.
I agree the healthcare insurance industry sucks. Democrats did nothing to change it. Republicans will do nothing to change it. And murdering CEO’s won’t change it.
Every time I have gotten denied, I get a letter. They list what gets paid for and what doesn’t.
No, you don’t HAVE to take the health insurance that your employer offers. You can deny it. In most instances tho, it’s worth it to keep it. Which is why the “revolution” that Lemmy thinks is going to happen, won’t.
The only real revolutionary change on that will come by voting for politicians who don’t worship the insurance companies money. And guess what? BOTH the Democrats and the Republicans worship insurance company money.
Which is why we need a third party. When I mentioned that and supported third parties before the election, the .world instance permabanned me! LMAO
Which is also part of the problem. People are too afraid to actually be uncomfortable for a bit in order to bring change.
But that doesn’t mean people should fucking murder CEO’s. WTF?!
Spending years putting up with a company is a pretty steep price to pay to learn the basics of how they do business. Consumer choices can’t effect change very well if they are largely kept in the dark is my point, and they are.
From the book Delay, Deny, Defend:
Yeah I also voted third party, they don’t really like it. Idk how much good it will do, or what the best solution would be, but the people calling for more murders I think are generally falling for the “something must be done, this is something, therefore this must be done” fallacy.
Fair points.
You despise the French revolution and thinks it should never have happened?
I’m not talking about the French revolution. I am talking about right now, here in the US.
And I hope Luigi spends the rest of his very long life in prison. He’s a fucking scumbag murderer. I don’t give a fuck what Lemmy thinks.
And I’m talking about another time in history in a country where the elite had taken too many of the resources for themselves, that the average person could no longer accept which, resulted in violence that affected massive changes…
I don’t and won’t advocate murder, bro. You aren’t going to change my mind.
I’m trying to have a discussion and understand your point of view. I’m not trying to change your mind.
I’m just saying that pretty much any time in history where major changes happened in the power structure of a country or region, it happened through violence.
And I’m saying murder is wrong, regardless of the circumstances.
But you acknowledge that sometimes it’s necessary for societies to change for the better?
If everyone dropped their health insurance tomorrow, a lot more people would die and face bankruptcy and homelessness. People don’t want to hurt themselves in order to change the system; they want to hurt their oppressors in order to stop the oppression.
I’m talking about people who think that every claim is being denied. If every claim you are posting is being denied, then you don’t really have insurance.
And regardless, murdering someone isn’t the answer.
So, what is your view or a way to change? As you say, not everyone is getting their claims denied, but we all have to go through bs claim denial that is thrown at us so that the profits of our insurers can go up. So what is the answer? Abandoning our insurers isn’t practical, as the poster above you said, so what recommendations do you have?
Murder isn’t the answer. I didn’t say I had a solution. I said that I don’t think murder is the solution. And I don’t care how much hate or how many downvotes I get. I’m not going to advocate murder. Ever.
Corporatist.
Because I disagree with murder? Ok. Cool!
No amount of deepthroating rich murderous boot will save you when your turn comes to face off to your insurance company, and it will come.
No amount of deepthroating murdering scumbags like Luigi will save you when it comes to your bitching about society on Lemmy.
Also Luigi was one of the rich people you all seem to hate so much. And his family was rich.
And I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison and is all pissed off because prison doesn’t have very good vegan options and doesn’t recycle. :)
Every thing whe have here in the US came from blood of others. The native Americans, the British, the slaves, the immigrant workers, etc. We wouldn’t be here as a country if it weren’t for revolution, and we wouldn’t be without slaves but for civil war. I know you wish it weren’t true because revolution and war are no fun, but if you think this system will change itself without a fight, I’m afraid you haven’t been paying attention.
I don’t care. Murder is wrong. And I hope Luigi spends the rest of his very long life in prison. He’s a fucking scumbag murderer. I don’t give a fuck what Lemmy thinks.
Is it wrong when a police officer kills a perp in self defense?
Is it wrong when they do it to save the lives of others?
Is it wrong if their boss told them to do it?
Is it wrong if their government told them to do it?
Where do you draw the line on murder?
I think murder is wrong. I’ve said this. No line. Thx.
The problem with your “drop them if they don’t cover you” bit is that people generally won’t find out until something serious happens, and then they’re screwed regardless, OR their employer pays a good chunk of their premiums, so they figure they’re better off to keep that and hope something winds up covered.
Not American, but we studied this in school. The insurance/free market problem is twofold - healthcare is a captive industry, and the knowledge base required to understand what is and isn’t a good plan is well beyond most of the population.
Healthcare is a captive industry in that no one can stop using it entirely. Car insurance? Never get a car, you avoid it. Arguments of car-driven infrastructure aside, that’s not a captive industry. So you, at some point in your life, are going to need healthcare. But, you have no idea how bad it’s going to be, what’s going to be wrong with you, etc. so your needs are extremely unknown. Again, to use a car insurance comparison, your choices are fairly limited here in Canada at least. The govt has set minimum standards that all insurers must provide, and then you can choose to increase above that. But those minimum standards cover enough that you’re very unlikely to be totally screwed with enormous debt after an accident no matter what causes the accident, etc.
This leads to the fact that healthcare is so ridiculously complicated that sorting out what is and isn’t covered by various insurers (who regularly change their plans) is beyond the average person. They have no way of knowing how much a surgery for appendicitis might cost, and if the 2mil max Plan A covers will be enough. Now multiply that by a thousand illnesses.
Healthcare should not be left to the free market - at a minimum, there needs to be a robust, extensive, and functional public insurance to avoid stupidity like bankruptcy from basic, lifesaving surgeries.
Totally agree. Murdering an insurance CEO isn’t the answer tho. Which was my original point.
I would agree, except that this has been a problem ongoing for the last twenty years with no progress made by protesting/following legal channels. From my perspective, without the threat of violence, both US parties have too much to gain by maintaining the status quo to respond to general peaceful protesting or trying to legally change things. If your perspective is that these people are causing deaths, and the legal system isn’t willing to change quickly enough, an argument could be made that the slow protests/incremental change is causing more deaths.
Cool. Doesn’t matter. I don’t think murder is the answer, and I will never advocate it. Lemmy will be on the wrong side of history when it comes to this subject. Cold-blooded murder is never the answer.
And if Luigi would have had some Republican tattoos and history and did this, you all would be crying and memeing about how he should be in prison.