Private Insurers, efforts to Ration Health Care
 

Private Health Insurers Step Up Their Efforts To Ration Health Care

Oct. 20 2010 - 3:17 pm | 561 views | 3 recommendations | 10 comments
By RICK UNGAR
With all the worry about the federal government heading down a path towards rationing health care in the United States, many Americans choose to ignore that it is not government who is rationing care – but rather the private health insurance companies who are deciding what we may or may not have when we get sick.
If you doubted it before, take a good, hard look at where we are heading.
The New York Times reports that two of the largest health insurers in the nation, United Healthcare and Aetna, are tightening their oversight over the treatment of cancer by offering physicians extra money to avoid newer, less proven treatments. Additionally, a number of regional insurers in states including California, Washington and Pennsylvania, are negotiating to clamp down on what oncologists can offer their patients.

http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2010/10/20/private-health-insurers-step-up-their-efforts-to-ration-health-care/

Chelee

Re: Private Insurers, efforts to Ration Health Care
 

The difference is, with an insurance company you can appeal...often to an insurance commissioner who is a government regulator. How will we appeal with the government IS the insurance company?

Re: Private Insurers, efforts to Ration Health Care
 

Good question Chrisy...it's all very troubling if you ask me.

Chelee

Re: Private Insurers, efforts to Ration Health Care
 

Neat. Heard of incentives to go IV over oral. Now blunt edge over cutting edge. Got nice little distortions here. Another twist seems to be that Medicare, despite being a federal pgm, varies in certain coverages state by state...which influnce even those seeking treatment from another state.

Re: Private Insurers, efforts to Ration Health Care
 

It is way past time to take medical oncologists out of the retail pharmacy business and let them be doctors again.