| An insurance agent speaks out "Health insurance is confusing for everyone, and it is not a level playing field. Between rising costs, pre-existing condition policies, and denial of claims, it's time for some serious oversight of these companies so families can get the care they need." -- Ken Bragg, insurance agent Fayetteville, W.V. | Dear Daniel, It's time you had some control over your health insurance costs. In the past 10 years, your family's health insurance bill has more than doubled. And if nothing is done to rein in the health insurance industry, your premiums will double again in another 10 years. Did your salary double during the past decade – will it in 10 years? Meanwhile, the CEOs of the top health insurance companies each averaged $9.7 million in compensation in 2008. How can they possibly understand the financial strain on us from their never-ending rate increases? We have the power to force health costs down if we get real oversight of insurance companies and allow competition to flourish. We have to make sure that we can control what we pay, how we pay it, and what we get for it. And the leading health reform bill does that. Read more about what you'll get from health reform – and forward this email to your friends and family. Last week we reached nearly 60,000 new people with information they probably didn't know about health reform. We want to double that number this week! Forward this message to at least two others in your inbox--this may be the most important thing you can do to keep health reform on track. For the first time ever, all insurance companies would have to: - Spend at least 85% of your premium on health care (at least 80% if you buy an individual policy or get your plan from a small employer), or rebate you the difference. That means most of what you pay will actually go for medical care, not to bloated CEO salaries and overhead. It makes sure insurance companies are beholden to you, not just their stockholders.
- Openly compete against each other for your business based on better care and price – not just avoiding sick people. And at least two companies will compete across state lines in an insurance "store," called an exchange, giving you the same choice of policies that members of Congress must pick from.
- Clearly list what they charge, and what they cover, so you can easily comparison shop on the Internet.
- Be upfront about how they'll treat you, by describing their policies in plain language and clearly explaining your rights.
- Simplify their paperwork by following the same rules when it comes to eligibility and claims, helping you and your doctors.
Of course, the industry is terrified that these controls will stop their greedy practices. Maybe that's why they've been spending millions on lobbying and scary ads to make sure you don't get these and other guaranteed benefits in the health reform bill.
Help us tell everyone how they would benefit by forwarding this email to everyone you know. Getting control over our health care costs has to be a top priority, and the leading health reform bill gives us the edge we need to make competition work. Want to know more? Click here for more details about how health reform will begin giving you some control over your health care costs, and putting more of what you spend toward your care. Sincerely,
Liz Foley
PrescriptionForChange.org,
A project of Consumers Union
101 Truman Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10703 P.S. If you were forwarded this email, Consumers Union will update you immediately with the good, the bad and the ugly as health reform is finalized by Congress. Sign up here. |
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