White House: 8 people Every Minute Are Denied Health Care Insurance
Ellen Linderman is a wife and farmer and one of those 8 people every minute that’s been discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition. Here’s her story:
Ellen is a 61-year old farmer in Carrington, ND. She has had several difficult experiences with health care in recent years. Ellen was initially denied health insurance coverage a few years back when she and her husband (also a farmer) had to switch from the state employee plan to private insurance.
However, since she had eye surgery less than six months prior to switching, she was considered high risk. The issue was eventually resolved but only after she went without coverage for several months. Health insurance reform would help people like Ellen who have a pre-existing condition and need to get insurance – insurance companies can’t deny people due to a pre-existing condition.
Ellen and the hundreds of others like her who are treated unfairly because of a pre-existing condition are another reason why we just can’t wait any longer for health insurance reform.
Over the next several days, we’ll continue announce new numbers, like 8, to raise awareness about why the time is now for health reform. We’ll promote those figures here on WhiteHouse.gov and on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
- 8 — The number of people every minute who are denied coverage, charged a higher rate, or otherwise discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition. [Source: HealthReform.gov]
- 8 — The number of lobbyists hired by special interests to influence health reform for every member of Congress in 2009. [Source: Center for Public Integrity]
So That’s Why They’re Raising Rates So Much …
If we enact health reform, it will restrict how much of your premium dollars can be spent on profits and overhead by requiring health insurance companies to spend 80-85% of the money they take in on care.
That’s worth keeping in mind. Because right after the Insurance companies announced huge rate increases for families across the country, they gathered at the luxurious Ritz Carlton in Washington to announce that they are spending $1 million on ads to defeat health reform.
That money could probably be better spent keeping rates down for customers.
Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director
Topics: 1115, 2010, 8, affordable health care, America, better coverage, business, CIGNA HealthCare, Congress, Democrats, facebook, Governance, government, health care, health care reform, health care system, health insurance premiums, Health Insurance Reform, Health Reform by the Numbers, insurance, Insurance Companies, insurance market exchange, Medicaid, Medicare, middle class, monitor, news, Obama Administration, online campaign, politics, pre-existing condition, President Obama, Republicans, Senate, social media, social networks, subsidies, Twitter, U.S., United States, UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, White House
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