Our corporate-run health care system is killing people like Nicole's son Alec,

[Uncle Joe]

Link to tweet

[zentrum]

1. Kick for visibility

[Voltaire2]

2. No it's great! Everyone wants to keep their shitty

private health insurance.

I’ve read that right here.

[George II]

3. I'm sure that in this country of 330 million people each of us can find one that "proves"....

...anyone's opinion. My brother has "corporate-run" private insurance (through his union) that has saved his life - FOUR times.

[Uncle Joe]

6. I hope your brother's company never closes or moves to Mexico or China. n/t

[George II]

7. He retired 30 years ago after working there for 20 years. They had a VERY strong union....

....who negotiated lifetime health insurance.

None of his co-workers would give that up for a sketchy, undefined plan.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

(snip)

In the event that your company or employer files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you will lose all forms of employer-based group insurance coverage, as those plans no longer exist.

As soon as you learn that your company is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, check on any outstanding insurance claims that you have submitted for payment and reimbursement. If those claims are not paid out before the company closes, you may need to file a "proof of claims" with the bankruptcy court.

If you elected to have money withheld from your paychecks to be deposited into a flexible spending account (FSA) for healthcare expenses, you should check with your company's benefits administrator to ensure that you will receive compensation for the sums withheld.

(snip)

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insurance/09/employee-benefit-bankruptcy.asp

[George II]

9. The company no longer exists, he still gets his pension (they were much lower in the 1980s)....

....and his health insurance.

[lonely bird]

14. So can I assume that his company was bought and ceased to exist as an independent company?

If so, were his benefits unloaded on the PBGC?

[melman]

16. Fascinating the way you always have an anecdote that matches your opinions

Somebody in Queens told you everyone hates AOC...your brother loves his insurance...etc.

[George II]

18. My brother's insurance saved his life four times, as I said. Why do you have to be so nasty?

[lapucelle]

20. My husband, an FDNY 9/11 survivor, is probably still alive

because of employer based, private health insurance negotiated by his union.

He wasn't eligible for enhanced coverage and treatment through the programs put it place directly following 9/11 because he was one of the hundreds of first responders whose unusual illnesses fell beyond the parameters of what physicians expected to find.

Because he didn't fit into any of the anticipated categories, he had to rely on his employer-based insurance alone for treatment and care.

That was enough to keep him going until our senator learned about all the sick first responders ineligible for the special programs, she fought to get them the enhanced coverage and continuous medical monitoring.

To this day if anybody asks, my husband will tell them that Hillary Clinton saved his life.

I hope your brother is well, George. My husband just had his 9/11 medical. Everything is holding steady, and that's a good thing.

[Cha]

21. I remember you telling us about

your husband, a First Responder, lapucelle. We all appreciate them so much!

And, how grateful you all were for what Hillary did for those First Responders who needed help ASAP!

That was enough to keep him going until our senator learned about all the sick first responders ineligible for the special programs, she fought to get them the enhanced coverage and continuous medical monitoring.

Glad he is still doing well.

[lapucelle]

27. Mahalo

[George II]

30. I remember you relaying that to us before, thankfully he's one of the lucky ones and....

...so glad he's holding steady, indeed a good thing. The NYFD and NYPD raced in and acted on instinct and training rather than concern for their own personal safety. It's what true Americans do.

Unfortunately many Americans don't understand the impact of that one day on so many New Yorkers and their families.

Wish you both all the best!

[sheshe2]

37. Love to you both.

[Gothmog]

40. I am glad that your brother is getting great care

I am very happy with my insurance

[sheshe2]

25. I have an anecdote for you as well, mel.

Not exactly lifesaving, however it gave me health insurance when I lost mine.

Lost my job and Cobra would have been 700 per month. I was on unemployment and that would have been almost my whole check. I found insurance. I was able to get on ACA through my health connector, 70 per month. It suited my needs at the time. It gave me peace of mind, the meds I needed and my doctor. Thank you President Obama for covering my needs.

Not sure of your need to ridicule Georges brother or his union insurance. It saved his life. Isn't that what it is all about? They were there for him when he needed it.

Fact is ACA has saved millions of lives. Obama did the best he could without the votes. ACA was always the stepping stone to single payer. I want to see that happen, not shred everything we have worked for. Build on the base and do not rip out the foundation to start from scratch.

[melman]

26. You know what's interesting?

The way you profess to support Warren but are against one of the cornerstones of her campaign.


“Yes, I’m with Bernie on Medicare-for-all,” Warren said, referring to Sen. Bernie Sanders’s trademark health-care plan. “There are a lot of politicians who say, oh, it's just not possible, we just can't do it, have a lot of political reasons for this. What they're really telling you is they just won't fight for it. Well, health care is a basic human right, and I will fight for basic human rights.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2019/06/27/the-health-202-elizabeth-warren-says-she-d-scrap-private-insurance-to-get-medicare-for-all/5d13e7a11ad2e552a21d5144/

[lapucelle]

31. Do you know what I find interesting? People with nuanced political perspectives

who are smart enough not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Do you know what I do not find interesting?
- ideologues
- demagogues
- single issue focus
- purity tests
- lockstep group think

And I'm with Elizabeth too.

[sheshe2]

34. I just posted this.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287243092#post33

[sheshe2]

38. Mahalo.

You have to meet her sometime.

You will feel the energy. She is a petit woman that persists when someone tries to slap her down. She did it to the Cosmo centerfold Scottie Brown. She did it to Mitch when he told her to sit down and shut up. She did it to the dTrump.

They fear her.

[sheshe2]

33. Ah.

The way you profess to support Warren but are against one of the cornerstones of her campaign.

She is my Senator and support her 100%. I don't have to agree with her every issue 100%. Frankly if you read her page I do not see that as a cornerstone. She is not a one issue candidate. She is an amazing vivacious and diverse woman.

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https://elizabethwarren.com/issues/#latest-announcements

‘Nevertheless, she persisted’ becomes new battle cry after McConnell silences Elizabeth Warren

When Senate Republicans invoked a little-known rule Tuesday night to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the middle of a speech criticizing attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Democrats were stunned.

But it was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's defense of the rare move later that launched a thousand tweets.

“Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech,” he said. “She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/08/nevertheless-she-persisted-becomes-new-battle-cry-after-mcconnell-silences-elizabeth-warren/?noredirect=on





Have you met her? Have you talked to her? I have. Perhaps you should read a bit about her before you comment.

[lapucelle]

36. It's the overall package and a record of actually getting things done that matters.

I remember a candidate who used to say

I'm a workhorse not a show horse.

I prefer a workhorse to a show horse, and I don't believe in unicorns.

[sheshe2]

39. She did more before she walked into the Senate...

Than most do in their lifetimes.

The Consumer Protection Agency was her baby alllll the way.

Go Girl!!!!




…………………………..

[George II]

29. Some like to look at things and make sarcastic, snarky off-base political points....

....instead of looking at the real life reality of things.

Must be nice to live in a cushy cocoon dream world and not have to worry about the dangers of the real world out there, eh?

Truly sad if you ask me.

[sheshe2]

35. Yep.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287243092#post33

[mcar]

28. Do you doubt that George's brother's insurance saved his life?

Or do you doubt that George has a brother. Just curious as to why you are challenging this.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. This is a tragedy that could have been avoided by price controls on insulin, not...

necessarily by redoing our entire health payment system.

Insulin production is not a basement project, but it is now reliable and inexpensive. Since we no longer have to depend on porcine pancreases, the supply is inexhaustible and should be cheap-- as it is in other countries.

Those evil health insurers can negotiate prices, as can the VA. Medicare cannot negotiate, nor can individuals. That is what has to be changed.

[Docreed2003]

5. +1

[TexasTowelie]

23. Do health insurance companies actually have that much power to negotiate drug prescription prices?

There are only three suppliers of insulin within the United States. If an insurer tries to push the price too low then the insulin manufacturer can cut off the supply line and all of the patients with that insurer will be left without the drug they need to stay alive. The patients will no longer deal with that insurance company and look for another insurer that is willing to pay the price set by the manufacturer. The insurance company risks destroying itself by being extreme in its negotiations.

While it sounds great to think about the insurance companies getting tough on insulin manufacturers, it could easily transform into a situation where everyone loses--the insurance company, the insulin manufacturer, and the patient. The first two may take a financial hit, but the final one could be dead.

[Uncle Joe]

24. The inventors of insulin sold the patent for $1. A vial costs $6 to make.

Link to tweet

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287233322

[TexasTowelie]

32. Yes, I already knew that since I'm a Type 1 diabetic.

However, your reply does not address the question that I stated today. Did I manage to stump you tonight, UJ? The price of insulin in the past and the patent rights has little to do with the current situation. The insulin manufacturers are able to set the price that the market will bear.

In addition, the human analog insulins are under different patents than the porcine pancreatic insulins mentioned in Bernie's tweets. Making a comparison between the two is like trying to compare a Model-T to a current vehicle model. Yes, the Model-T worked, but I don't think most people would really want to go back to using one on a regular basis (no seat belts, hand-cranks, noxious emissions, no power steering, manual transmissions, etc.)

The only way that Bernie addresses insulin costs is through a single-payer system where the single payer dictates the price. Otherwise, Bernie doesn't have any workable solutions to control insulin costs either. Considering that a single-payer system will be a tough sale in the best of circumstances (an election victory, plus a House and Senate that can come to agreement), Bernie's tweet doesn't offer a solution, only some nostalgia about prices from decades ago.

So please tell me how the insurance industry acts in any other manner besides being a middleman between the manufacturer and the patient. Can they actually dictate prices to the insulin manufacturers--yes or no?

[sheshe2]

41. Bravo.

[TreasonousBastard]

42. Yes. But, it's complicated...

https://diabetescaucus-degette.house.gov/insulin-pricing

https://www.ncpssm.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/price_negotiation_part_d.pdf

Both of these are interesting reads. There are more out there and no doubt even more if I kept searching. The point of proper negotiating is to get the best deal all around without breaking anyone.

The fact that there are three authorized manufacturers does not necessarily mean there is an oligopoly if they don't conspire to fix prices. And, there are ways to encourage competition, although they don't always work.

An important point is just who to negotiate with. There are a lot of middlemen taking a piece here and there-- no one talks directly to drug manufacturers.

[TexasTowelie]

43. Interesting reading,

but it doesn't answer the question as to whether private insurance companies have any real power to negotiate prices for insulin. Most healthcare spending (64%) is provided by the government through programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, and CHIP programs. Private health insurers do not have enough market share to effectively negotiate prices (a number less than 36% after subtracting the uninsured, then dividing by the number of companies providing health insurance).

I agree that it is important for insurers to negotiate with the insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers, but again their market share is comparably low so there isn't that much negotiation room to begin with.

[NewEnglandAutumn]

10. I live with this fear

my son who is 25 is on meds that would cost over3,000.00 a month. He has said he will not take them because he has no job because of his health yet is not eligible for disability.

[iluvtennis]

11. Just tragic and shouldn't have happened in the richest country in the world. Companies should

ne required to offer government sponsored health care when employees do annual benefits enrollment.

So, I am employee have choice to pick Fed Gov't medical insurance, Aetna, Blue Shield, United Health Care, Kaiser, etc, etc.

So the money an employer takes out of the employee's paycheck each pay period as well as the amount the employer contributes would go to the Fed Govt medical insurance instead of one of the private companies.

In the long run, I think the Fed Gov't plan would be the most cost effective and benefits rich for folks and the majority would select it.

But this is my pipe dream because no way will the medical insurance companies and pharmaceuticals allow this to happen - TOO MUCH MONEY MADE OFF OF "HEALTHCARE" in America.

[Wounded Bear]

12. We don't have a healthcare "system"...

We have a health care industry.

[ChiTownDenny]

13. This is tragic.

No one should die because they can't afford life-saving pharmaceuticals. However, the ACA, while not cheap for people with jobs, is certainly less costly than this young man's $1300 monthly bill for insulin. I'm confused why that wasn't considered.

[TexasBushwhacker]

17. It's especially cheap for young people n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

19. Well all I can say is, USA! USA! USA!

[TexasTowelie]

22. The Canadians have stated that having Americans come to obtain insulin from Canadian pharmacies

could endanger the insulin supply within Canada. How do the optics look for a US presidential candidate to encourage Americans to skirt the law and to also raid the Canadian system? How is this not classified as an invasion?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10877417