What's Karen Ignagni's Copay?
We asked the health insurance lobby about its top rep's coverage. They treated us like we had a preexisting condition.
What kind of health care coverage does the nation's top health insurance lobbyist have? Her trade group refuses to say.
Karen Ignagni is the health insurance industry's main defender in Washington. As the president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the industry's lobby, she represents all the big insurance companies: WellPoint, Aetna, UnitedHealth, and CIGNA, among others. As such, she's one of the leading opponents of the so-called public option—a proposed government-run health care plan that would compete with private plans as a way of lowering costs. AHIP recently organized 50,000 insurance company employees to fan out to congressional town hall meetings to fight the public option, which the industry views as a major threat to its bottom line. They recognize that without having to pay enormous executive salaries or hire corporate jets, the government-run plan might be cheap enough to steal away a big chunk of their business.
But despite Ignagni's role as what some lefties might consider the Darth Vader of health care reform, she has not launched World War III on President Obama's health care reform plan. Instead, she's taken a more conciliatory approach, getting the industry to take a seat at the table and adopting the strategy of trying to shape the legislation to her liking rather than seeking to block it outright. She's promised that insurers will stop denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions and will end a bunch of other heinous but common practices. (Of course, any reform plan that includes a mandate for people to buy insurance is good for insurance companies, as it brings in more paying customers.)
A former Democratic Hill staffer and union official, Ignagni sounds eminently reasonable on TV and in interviews when she talks about how important it is to make sure all Americans have access to health insurance. But hearing Ignagni wax poetic about the need to fix health care has often made me wonder just how much experience she's had as a consumer of the products sold by the companies she represents. As someone with a $2,000 deductible, I had questions, like: How high are Ignagni's own deductibles? What are her maximum out-of-pocket costs? Does she have to get a referral before she can see a specialist? What's her copay and can she pick her doctor?
So last week I inquired about her insurance coverage. I started by putting my questions to AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach, one of Ignagni's gatekeepers. The response? "Politely, no, I don't think we're going to get into that." In flack-speak, he gave me a lecture on how "the issue here is that everyone here needs to have access to health care."
I asked him, politely, if he would send my questions up the food chain so that Ignagni could answer them directly, even if that answer was "no comment." But Zirkelbach declined. "The person you are talking to is me," he said. I thanked him for his time and mentioned offhand that he might be risking the ire of Ignagni, the woman who pledged AHIP's commitment to passing health care reform, but Zirkelbach was unmoved. "We're not going to get into the benefit packages of AHIP employees," he said, ending our conversation. Five minutes later he called me back to add that all AHIP employees have the same choice of benefit packages. What those are, he didn't say.
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Why now?
If the health insurance companies recognize such a need for reform; pre-existing, under insured, co-pays, etc, then why haven't they done anything instead of just telling us they "will"?
DIRTBAG POLITICIANS
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Why is it that EVERYONE on ALL blogs ALL OVER THE INTERNET are FOR the PUBLIC OPTION, yet NOTHING is being done about it????
Karen Ignagni's Copay
Some copays, like certain medicines, can be delivered orally.
Robert Henry Eller
Milan, Italy
Co-pay
Yes, I am quite interested in hearing the answer to that question. What is their co-pay and are some of them truly uninsurable? Those stories need to be brought to light, not the angry old people at town hall meetings. So when the do publish it, I think it will make people think (or at least I hope it does).
Food for thought
To all, especially those with "Cadilac" health care benefits that would deny care to others; according to the CDC there is an impending epidemic on its way and that overworked waiter or waitress that just prepared and served you that sumptuous meal at your country club probably lives paycheck to paycheck, has no paid sick days, and has no health insurance.
Bon appetit!
Response to food for thought
You are oh so correct! I spent many years in the food service industry as both a server and a cook/owner. And in none of those positions could I afford health insurance, nor was any coverage provided by an employer. I don't believe that situation has changed much, if at all, since I was in it. (How many fingers do you think have been in your food?) And that's only one instance. With the swine flu problem and other assorted global pandemics we have today, you would think everyone would be a little more concerned about the health of the people around them!
To paraphrase the Amish - "Too soon sick, too late smart" !!
Its amazing that so many
Its amazing that so many Americans with good health benefits can't comprehend what's at stake for them personally in having ready access to care for all. Health care is out of reach for vast swaths of our population from the people who process and serve our food, to the cruelly ironic ancillary health care workers.
More Food for Thought
Not only do they not have health care, but most will get a reprimand and docked pay or fired for not coming into work because they are sick. So all those fine conservatives who helped make these rules and mores, I think you might want to stay home this flu season. You just might be on eof the luckey ones who get to find out how good your insurance really is. :-)
health care for the rich and powerful
I would personally love to see every lobbyist asked repeatedly to describe their own health care, including their deductibles, etc. BEFORE they are allowed to argue for what the rest of us shouldn't have.
The few times I've seen it brought up, the squirming has been immediate and undeniable.
Confront these people with their hypocrisy BEFORE allowing them to disgorge their talking points.
Wrong target
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Lobbyists? They are private folks who don't owe us an explanation. It undermines their credibility that they don't provide it, sure, but this surprises you?
Aim your questions about personal healthcare at the true hypocrites: Congress.
They have no-pay phenomenal care while in office, and, after a couple terms, permanent, as part of their pension, which they also get after a couple terms--
The question is not Why do lobbyists get what we don't, but Why do our public servants?
Reply is inaccurate.
Reply is inaccurate. Congress do pay a portion of their premiums. The good news about the current health propsals is that they are modeled on the FEHB, congress' health care plan. The concept is a pool of insurance at various price points which comply with contracted rules (like no preexisting condidtions). A fed who has an issue with his/her coverage contacts OPM who act as his/her advocate, and can either get the insuance company to comply with the contract or be a neutral party to confirm the company is correct in not providing coverage. Whether or not one oif the options is a public option this will be valuable.
Wrong Target
I love it when people do not know what they are talking about. My husband is retired government and we have the same choices of insurance as the people in Congress. We have a $20 deductible, a $500.00 cap for the year. Yes, the coverage is good but if you are not admitted to the the hospital after going to Emergency, you pay for the entire visit.
I agree that the Fed plan should be open to everyone. And if the damn insurance companies stay out of it, the Public Option will be very similar.
I want to know what the salaries of the top insurance executives are. I bet it would put the salaries of the investment bankers to shame.
DC TEXAS
Those were the days, my
Those were the days, my friend - many of us envy you. I had such an insurance plan through an employer once - but that was more than 15 years ago. I didn't know such coverage still existed. Now if you can get it at all, the deductibles START at $500, and are often more like $2000 or more - and that doesn't include the cost of co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses for the ever-growing list of noncovered items. Essentially this insurance functions on a catastrophic level only - if you are relatively healthy, it's useless - but you get to pay through the nose for it just the same. Gotta pay those CEO's and investors somehow....!
Ins. Co. & CEO With 2008 Total CEO Compensation
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Alan P.
* Aetna, Ronald A. Williams: $24,300,112
* Cigna, H. Edward Hanway: $12,236,740
* Coventry, Dale Wolf: $9,047,469
* Health Net, Jay Gellert: $4,425,355
* Humana, Michael McCallister: $4,764,309
* U. Health Group, Stephen J. Hemsley: $3,241,042
* Wellpoint, Angela Braly: $9,844,212
http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/special-reports/total-package-health-pla...
Average pay of insurance company CEOs
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In answer to your question, the average 2007 compensation for insurance industry CEOS was $14.5 MILLION--that's average. The highest was $27 MILLION and the lowest of the top 10 was $3.75 MILLION. That's enough money to insure thousands and thousands of Americans.
This needs more
This needs more investigating so the american people can be further informed as to the outright discrimination of the health insurance companies
Why is it that we the folks
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Why is it that we the folks that are paying for the Health Care of Congress (and everything else) have to put up with all this disinformation?
I say, either get on with a "Great Plan" for all Americans or instantly repeal the coverage that Congress is now getting, because they don't deserve any better coverage than we do!
It's put up or Shut Up time for all Congress... Make quality health care affordable or enjoy poor care like the rest of America has...
I suggest that to make the proposed Health Plan easy to understand, we should demand that Congress should agree to void their current Health Care plans and accept the proposed Health Plan that they want the rest of America to use! That way, we all would get quality care and not just a token plan change!
Why is it that we the folks???
I so TOTALLY agree with this comment. I as a taxpayer, deeply resent paying for the health care coverage for the members of both Houses while they refuse to let me have the same plan. I think we should start a taxpayer revolt and force our government officers to renounce their health care insurance and come and experience what the rest of us have to suffer through under the ludicrous name of "health" care. What a joke!
Intelligent consumers of healthcare
We definitely need to know the current healthcare status of those who are in favor of limiting healthcare for all. What deductibles are they paying , what is their co/pay, are they uninsurable because of previous illness. We cannot frame this debate without all the information. Let's look at all those plans as compared with a public option and then draw a conclusion as to what is best for the average and below average american citizen....not the oldest, youngest, or military veteran!
let's see it
Oh yes I would love to examine exactly what healthcare coverage is she receiving. Oh now the insurance companies will not deny a person with pre-existing condition hmm..grand. Opps without a public option they can charge whatever they want for that coverage. Hell no! this is not enough!
Healthcare just ain't gonna happen.
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Health care postings on most sites I have yet to see the bottom line on cost benefit and I'm a stickler for that. The gang of 6 represents less than 3% of the population. They have each received a little less than $5 million from the health industry. There are an estimated 50 million uninsured Americans. That means the gang of 6 is willing to throw all of America under the bus for less than a dime per body and they are from welfare states no less. That shows you that each of us is worth less than a dime to these people. Stand up now or just go somewhere and expire on your own.
HR Holmes Ft Lauderdale, Fl
She's already admitted
In "Sick Around America", the Frontline that T. R. Reid was making as a companion piece to "Sick Around the World" (highly recommended) until he abandoned it out of editorial differences (the final show is a tepid at best analysis of the current healthcare mess in our country), she as much as admits that she could not get insurance coverage on the open market due to a "pre-existing condition". It's not clear if she was just looking for sympathy for her or for the insurance industry in some twisted way, but it's clear that she is a shill for someone who does not serve her own best interests. We need a single-payer or single-payer like system to get rid of the for-profit health insurance industry. They add nothing of value and siphon off dollars that would otherwise go towards healthcare.
Insurance companies are
Insurance companies are nothing less than middle men skimming billions of health care dollars from sick people. Who but the truly corrupted can defend this?
this article
What people should is this,I went to a ton of healthcare sites and applied for quotes,from alot of them,in some I said I was older,in good health,in others I said I preexisting condition& was young,in some I said I was in poor health,others in great health,I used all different ages to. when I was done, the quotes were monthly-staring from 249.00 with 1000.00 deductable to 769.00 with 7,000.00 deductable.Too many to put up here,but people should check this out to get a better perspective about it.
Check it out for yourselves,
The Republican party is
The Republican party is showing its true colors. They hate the poor and they hate non-whites. Their attitude is "STICK IT TO 'EM!" with one finger upraised. Why people continue to fall for their vile bile is beyond me.
I hope that universal health care passes. It's loooong past overdue.
tombstone
"Per essere meglio sto qui" written on a tombstone in Italy. It means "In my efforts to get better I am now lying here"
I would not like to be served my meal by the uninsured waitress with a dry cough, I would not like to have my uninsured caddy with eczema hand me my golf club, I would not like my uninsured bartender with a cold that won't go away, fix me my martini.
Health care insurance... once and for all.
uh, ot comment here
sorry to be ot, but I have to comment on your translation. It's rather something like: 'In order to be better I'm staying here', or, more true to its spirit, 'I'm better off here'. More in keeping with the dark side of the Italian funny bone . . .
Embarrassed are WE? If she
Embarrassed are WE? If she and they have nothing to "hide" why are they willing to give it up?
Congressmen and senators
Congressmen and senators should only be allowed the same coverage - or lack of coverage - as their average constituents. If they lived in reality, I would like to think that they would be more compassionate towards the voters that they are supposed to represent.
lobbyist benefits
Well, I suppose if you sell your soul to the cause of restricting competition to keep health care costs high, the least you should get is . . . great health care. It has a kind of twisted logic to it, no?
The Lobbyists aren't the
The Lobbyists aren't the only hypocrites who need to be exposed:
GOPers Decrying "Socialized Medicine" Go To Govt. Hospital For Surgeries
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/02/gopers-decrying-socialize_n_275...
Sam Stein
stein@huffingtonpost.com | HuffPost Reporting
mandate for obama
When are all of us whimpy democrads going to quit listining and buying into the usual fear factor by the the defeated Republican party and just let our president our greatesest hope do the job that we elected him for.
Call your congressman and tell them to grow some balls or whatever and support our pres.
Remeber G.W. Bush did he care what we thought?
health care for lobbyists and congress
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I used to work for Uncle Sugar, and that FEHP was great! For a negligible monthly premium, I got no deductibles, low co-pays, lots of participating providers, and of course, guaranteed acceptance and no limitations on pre-existing conditions. As I recall, we had our choice of 15 or 20 different plans we could choose from, all of which had the same format, slightly different geographic coverage.
I haven't found anything this good outside of working for the gov't, and I think it would be very good for the country if every resident had access to this system. By eliminating the salaries of all existing deniers-of-service [all the underwriters, half the lawyers and clerks, all the insurance lobbyists, etc] and eliminating every provider's salaries for administering charity care, the premiums would actually go down, and the single-ultimate-payer, Uncle Sugar, could control prices even better.
A total win-win situation for the entire nation! Even if taxes went up, they'd go up less than the savings resulting from eliminating the taxpayer's current expenses.
What are we waiting for? JUST DO IT!
health reform
I agree with every post and it appears that most people are finally educating themselves. There are some with great care and don't care and they will always be oblivious to others problems but most people "get it". I am "over" the insurance company's greed and cruelty. There should be no profits in illness. The doctors and hospitals are going bankrupt. I have heard Karen Ignagui and I hear a huge sucking noise from an industry that should be scared. Their time should be over. Medicare for all. No profit. Wrench all of the hospitals from the vultures and let"s have healthy people who need not worry about health care.. No one should have to buy insurance. Healthcare should be free to anyone and everyone. We will find a way to fund it.
What is Karen Ignagni's health Plan?
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Of course they don't want to disclose this, it will just make us angry. They are willing to change SOME items like pre-existing conditions, etc. after years of subjecting us to this abuse to increase their profits. I, FOR ONE, DON'T TRUST A WORD THEY SAY, GET THEM OUT OF THE GAME!
Mencimer's Mis-Frame
Um, there has been NO proposed health care bill that would result in a "government-run health care plan."
Mrs. Mencimer, perpetuating inaccurate policy concepts is what's keeping the country from having a public option (or, better yet, Medicare-for-all) in the first place. Not meaning any offense here, but you are quite nearly an accomplice to opposition by using this sort of rhetoric.
What is being proposed - with regards to a public option - is government-run health insurance, NOT government-run health care.
Please make note of this . . .
I think we would have a much
I think we would have a much more constructive discussion about healthcare if people would stop thinking in terms of what they have and start thinking about what they want. I currently have employer-sponsored healthcare, a pretty good plan, deducted pretax. I like my doctor and don't have any major complaints. However, the truth in this debate is that every time you pay $3 for a single bandaid or cotton ball, you are paying for someone else who cannot pay their bill. Healthcare is already rationed every time your insurance carrier denies payment on particular services. I would like to be able to go to an emergency room (when necessary) and not have to wait behind scores of people who don't have insurance who are treating it like a free clinic. I would like the doctors in the emergency room to not hold me hostage performing tests, running up my bill, instead of saying "We have determined that whatever it is is not life-threatening, so we will release you and suggest you visit your doctor on Monday".
I don't care how health care gets fixed. All I want is to be able to see the doctor I have and not spend any more than I spend now. If I spend more in taxes, then I would hope that either my premiums or my per-service fees go down. Instead of people sitting back arguing because they don't want to lose the particular plan they have or worrying about paying for someone else (which they already do), let's center the discussion on how to make sure we are still able to have the choice in care we want and that we don't pay any more for it. To me, that's the central issue, not how we get there.
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Hey fools! When are you
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Hey fools! When are you going to realize that your congressman and your senator, even your president doesn’t want to give you health insurance, except in the form that makes lots of money for the insurance companies. Those above three are now in the tricky and treacherous position to deliver to their paymasters what they got paid for on the one hand and, on the other dangle in front of the fools who voted them into office, the hope that deliverance will come in the form of a single payer universal healthcare system, or the much watered down, probably useless version: a public option. Delivering for the paymasters and smoke-and mirrors-make-believe-help for the lowly voters in need, represents two irreconcilable objectives which are being put to work for endless ‘debates’ and arguments in the haze and fog of which, both of these alleged desirable goals are deceitfully, week after week a little more, pushed into a dark corner, disappear and sink never to be seen again. With a little remark here and a little remark there, the powers that be manipulate your brain into giving up your high hopes. Combined with the brain washing voters have received over decades, which election after election makes them vote against their own best interests, this trick is not hard to do. Therefore, you must DEMAND a single payer universal health care insurance system. Everything else is capitulation and for another decade they will have you by the balls. It is not true, that this is too big a step. Medicare proofs it. It is not true, that this costs too much and the richest country in the world cannot afford it. As long as we can afford bombs and troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, we can afford anything. Besides, we are not asking for ‘free’ health care, we pay premiums of which we demand that they are optimally applied to ‘health care‘. It’s just the basic insurance idea: one for all, and all for one.
difference between insurance and Medicare
When I was a youngster I had one testicle than hung way lower than the other. Matter of fact it hung so low as a kid I was not able to go swimming with the other kids, as the one testicle was apt to fall out of my swimsuit.
As I aged the testicle had progressed down my leg to the knee area and now at times if I turned just right, I would catch and crush the testicle between my knees, causing myself to have to sit, or lay down for some time.
After going to work for a good company after I became a young man, I had insurance. I was able to see a physician for my ailment. Then I was informed by my insurance firm that this was pre-existing deformity and they would not pay for any treatment.
Now, I'm finally retired and on Medicare. I approached the Medicare folks and seen a physician. The new physician seemed very optimistic about correcting my odd condition. Medicare was contacted about the situation and told the doctor they would be glad to pay any and all of the needed procedure.
I went into the surgery room with nothing but great relief, after all this time I was going to get something that looked right. I woke up a few hours later to find out that my other testicle had been extended to match the one that hung at my knee. Medicare informed me that they are there to make things right and when the government does something they do it right. I'm still having a hard time finding summer shorts that distract from the two testicles that are bouncing off my knees.
Not funny
Oh, Dan...it's obvious that you are not retired nor have you used Medicare. I have. And I wish every citizen in the country could have it. I'm recovering from a lumbar laminectomy right now and I was able to choose my surgeon. I even went to the trouble of getting a second opinion, which Medicare covered. But what I have seen during this time is the private side of the health care system doing their best to rip off Medicare. (That's you and me.) So much for the integrity of corporations involved with health care. Shameful.
health care
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VOTE THEM ALL OUT UNTIL THEY START LISTING TO THE PEOPLE, AND STOP LISTENING TO BIG MONEY!
I still say if you what to fix heath care, Take congress off there heath care and don't give them any until they come up with something for everyone and then they get the same as they give. This fixing the heath care because it affects them and and done quickly because they won't have any until it is fixed. (Pass that along!!!) And every one needs to get off the "its there fault train" BECAUSE IS BOTH DEMOCRAT'S AND REP ASSHOLES THAT HAS DONE THIS TO US BUY LISTENING TO BIG MONEY INSTEAD OF THE PEOPLE!!! "OH that's right they are the big money". And I totally sick of hearing the winners blaming every thing on the other party. We have had the same problems for years and whether it a Dem or Rep in office nothing ever get done. Why you ask, Because they got the best of both and don't what things to change because change means they have to give up a lot of there perks. Show me one politician that's willing to give up there heath care and pensions and other perks that's destroying the American dream, That is why I didn't vote for any politician that already was in office, Didn't care if they was a Dem. or Rep. They all need to be fired none of them did there job right. If they did the average American would not be hurting so bad. My last comment is: The main problem with the Government is "GREED"!
VOTE THEM ALL OUT UNTIL THEY START LISTING TO THE PEOPLE, AND STOP LISTENING TO BIG MONEY!
Well, don't know about you all
But I'm ready to get the pitchforks/torches/crucifixes and start having "health insurance executive bonfires". Don't pretend anything less will get us what we want. We need to release the DC Sniper with a new target list: health insurance company CEO's. From time to time the tree of liberty needs to be watered with the blood of corporations, now that they are people. May their blood run freely in the streets then.
-The American People, had they but the balls to say it
What's she got to hide?
Is she afraid,that someone will kill her, for her job and it's benefits?
Thanks for
Thanks for sharing.
الدوري المصري ,الجزيرة الرياضية
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If you want to know...email
If you want to know...email her
Karen Ignani, the CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry lobbying group.
kignani@ahip.org
