You better sit down for this because it's shocking. I could hardly believe it myself because I always thought they were such fine, upstanding members of society. I believed them when they blamed all of the problems of high costs on those nasty lawyers and expensive lawsuits. I feel so lost right now after reading this news.
Health insurers have forced consumers to pay billions of dollars in medical bills that the insurers themselves should have paid, according to a report released today by the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee.Say it ain't so! My whole world is upside down! Darn you Andrew Cuomo. Darn you! Next thing you know they're going to tell me that family values politicians don't practice what they preach.
The report is part of multi-pronged assault today on the trustworthiness of private insurers by Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.). It comes at a time when the insurance industry is battling efforts to offer consumers a public alternative to private health plans.
At a hearing this afternoon, Rockefeller's panel is slated to air allegations by a former industry insider that insurers have put profits before people's health.
The report released this morning alleges that insurers have systematically underpaid for so-called out-of-network care. The issue has been brought to light in past litigation and investigations, including a probe by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
Main & gay blog