• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

UnitedHealthcare CEO assassinated in NYC

Status
Not open for further replies.
NorCalBusa said:
Wonder if insurance laws changed and health insurers became the sole source of Life insurance- they'd suddenly have great interest in providing better care? For sure, the need exists to stop the ambulance=free ride to a free hospital and a free meal revolving door. The requirement that ER's have to see anyone that presents needs to change. Daunting because they'd have to determine quickly who is really ill and who is not. But today, someone with a splinter in their finger rushes down for a doc to have a look, as done for other low level non-emergent complaints.
Click to expand...
Interesting idea.

I would like to see the data on how often people go to the ER "needlessly" vs the number of people who don't get care even though they have insurance because the insurance they have is really a cruel joke.
 
I see no heroes here, not the exec or the killer.
But I cling to optimism. If that prep school phenom is an IT prodigy, I would have hoped for him to have found a team to create a new insurance Collosus/AI system to address this crisis. An inspirational outcome could have been created by a well designed system which may have forced a change in the paradigm of the current UHC operational status of one in three decisions made by treating physicians being denied. That is Twice the nat’l avg. for insurers. Not to digress to their whole Optum Pharmacy Benefit Manager sidearm scandal/suit this year.
FWIW, financially most clinic docs are now employees and have less to gain from overtreating. Kaiser is it’s own ecosystem apart, and hospitalists too. Like they don’t make more for more tests. But they are pressed on production , ie numbers of patients and suppressed on tests, procedures and scripts.
Now I hope some other team will be the ones to help get a digital step ahead in resolving this crucial dilemma as it now actually AI training the diagnostic skills of our doctors of the future.
 
NorCalBusa said:
Point taken and I agree. Know that the "new" DMV rocks. Since hiring (maybe 4 years ago now?) the Sun Microsystem exec to run things they have made massive advances. Not much you can't do online now, and in-person lines at DMV are all but gone.
Click to expand...
They are 'ok' now - They are REALLY good at taking money up front but if there are any issues with the transaction they withhold paperwork and make it YOUR problem to correct everything (still having to stand in line sometimes)

But yea if your stuff is all in order they will gladly service you for that privilege of being stuck in traffic (I mean driving) and accept the fee which are 500% of some other states..... (who can all traverse the same HWY's we do but MUCH cheaper)
 
Mike95060 said:
Interesting idea.

I would like to see the data on how often people go to the ER "needlessly" vs the number of people who don't get care even though they have insurance because the insurance they have is really a cruel joke.
Click to expand...
That sounds like impossible data.
 
FEIW- wrt m dictate where these people really clean up. For my SO I chose Alignment Plan,, which is handled in Marin by Meritage which after reading the fine print is overseen by United Healthcare. WTF? All of this is instead of choosing Part B on time. What benefits does paper shuffling between 3 for profit providers do to save thegovernm my money?
 
Early this year, I got a blood blister on my nose that wouldn't go away. I saw my GP who worried of cancer, paid my co-pay, and got a referral to dermatology. I saw the dermatologist who ruled out cancer and gave me an injection, paying another more expensive co-pay. The dermatologist scheduled a follow-up. I went and paid the more expensive co-pay again. The blood blister had healed near 100% already. The dermatologist literally said "Thanks for coming back. Most people don't, so we have no idea if the treatment worked". The follow-up took all but 5min and I feel like an idiot for going back and paying the damn co-pay again.

The appointments and co-pay were really no skin off my nose (lol). I didn't take time off work. I had to drive like 2miles to get to the medical offices. And I could easily afford the co-pays. But it's not hard to imagine the millions of people where all that isn't the case. Taking time off work AND paying a relatively expensive co-pay AND driving far AND missing more work AND etc. With all that, it's definitely not hard to imagine people skipping care even though they are paying for insurance. The system is broken (by design) and it's not getting better.

The can only think of 2 recent wins for us plebs in this sector.
1. The ACA created insurance marketplaces that made it a lot easier to buy insurance without a job that provided it. Easier, but not cheaper, so it's a tiny win.
2. Cost caps on insulin in certain states (iirc). A much bigger win than #1, but still small compared to what's needed as a whole.
IMO, those 2 wins barely scratched the surface of all the issues with the US healthcare system.
 
stangmx13 said:
The can only think of 2 recent wins for us plebs in this sector.
1. The ACA created insurance marketplaces that made it a lot easier to buy insurance without a job that provided it. Easier, but not cheaper, so it's a tiny win.
2. Cost caps on insulin in certain states (iirc). A much bigger win than #1, but still small compared to what's needed as a whole.
IMO, those 2 wins barely scratched the surface of all the issues with the US healthcare system.
Click to expand...

1) Well it IS cheaper if you qualify for subsidies. Even free if you're willing to go on Medi-Cal. It's the middle class who is getting fleeced.
2) Yes
3) You forgot another win, coverage of pre-existing conditions
 
Last edited:
Since dmitiry exercised his right to not be happy I will say a new thread can be started and anyone who advocates this being a just murder or others should be killed will be suspended immediately.

The subject is fascinating for sure. Following the trail to a trial will be interesting.

Some of these responses painted a picture of BARF I am not willing to support nor want to be broadcast as who we are or what we accept.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top