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Old 01-10-2012, 12:57 PM
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Harrison Harrison is offline
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The Insurance Intelligencer
1/10/12

Healthcare justice for all ... it begins in California

Meeting Oliver

On December 27, my best holiday present arrived. I got to meet Oliver.

Oliver and his family were in the Seattle area, visiting his grandparents for Christmas. We met for breakfast at a pancake house in my neighborhood.

Oliver came running up to me in the parking lot. He asked, "Did you help me get my surgery?" "Yes," I replied, "I wrote a big long letter, and helped you to get your surgery." Oliver threw his arms around my neck, saying, "Thank you, thank you."

Truly, it does not get any better than this.

HIAA 2012: Healthcare justice for all

Oliver was born with craniosynostosis -- a condition where one or more of the sutures of the skull fuse prematurely. In order to fix craniosynostosis, the skull needs to be dismantled, reshaped, and put back together. This is an art and a science -- with the surgeon correcting any defects, and leaving just enough "leeway" for future growth.

Oliver needed to get to Dr. Fearon in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Fearon has performed hundreds of these surgeries for craniosynostosis. He hasfollowed his little patients for eleven years, developed new procedures to make the surgery safer and more effective, and documented his outcomes in thirty-four scientific articles.

Anthem's position? We have three local plastic surgeons who are in-network for Anthem. We don't care what their qualifications are, and we don't care if this is the first surgery they ever performed for craniosynostosis. If they have an M.D. after their name, and they are bound by contract to Anthem ... that is where you will go.

If it were your child -- and his skull, brain, vision and physical appearance were at stake -- would that be good enough for you? Would you accept "Dr. Nobody" because the insurance company said so? You would have to accept it -- unless you happened to find me, and I wrote, fought, and won your appeal.

As it stands now, insurers have ultimate power over what medical treatments we are allowed to have, who gives those treatments, how much they pay for them, and when they pay.

What are we going to do about this? How can we hold health insurers accountable for their decisions? What can we do so that families like Oliver's do not have to fight the same fight again and again?

As of today, there is an answer: the Health Insurer Accountability Act of 2012 (HIAA).

What is HIAA, and what will it do?

• You need a massively expensive surgery/drug/treatment. You had no idea that it would not be covered; you are devastated. HIAA will require policies to be written in language that is clear to people who buy and rely on them. You will have an absolute right to know what you are getting.

• Your insurer just raised your premiums by 35%. There is no limit to how much they can raise them. You can't afford insurance anymore. When insurers apply for a rate increase, HIAA will require those submissions to be under oath and penalty of perjury. Only if the rates are proven to be justified and based on accurate data will they be approved.

• Your doctor tells you that there is only one surgery/drug/treatment that can save your child's life. The insurance company denies it. HIAA will make insurers directly accountable for any harm caused by their decisions.

• The insurer approved your surgery/treatment. It is one year later. Neither the medical providers nor the hospital have been paid; they are now sending the bills to you. The bills are in excess of $100,000.

HIAA will require health insurers to pay covered claims promptly.HIAA will do all this, and much more ...

Healthcare justice for all

You can do something to end the divine rights of insurance companies right now. If this bill gets 504,760 signatures by May 1, gets on the ballot in November 2012, and passes -- it will affect how health insurers do business throughout the United States.

I do not live in California. However, this is my fight. I have dedicated my life to making insurers do the right thing, practice evidence-based medicine, and pay for the lifesaving treatments that people need. This bill will multiply my victories a thousandfold -- a veritable tsunami of good medical care.

The Health Insurer Accountability Act (HIAA) has been accepted by the Attorney General of California. As of today, 504,760 signatures are needed by 5/1/12 in order to put HIAA on the ballot in November.

You can make this happen, starting today. Go directly to the website: Health Insurer Accountability Act of 2012 | Healthcare Justice for All

On the website, you can ...

• See a brand-new video of my story on the home page.
• Read the bill.
• Download a petition, collect as many signatures as you wish, and be part of the solution.
• Donate for the administrative costs associated with this massive effort.
• Share your insurance story.
• Volunteer your skills, time, contacts, or ideas.

Do you know anyone in California? Forward this message to them. They are the ones who can get the signatures, get this measure on the ballot, and vote for HIAA in November.

Do you know anyone in the United States? Forward this message to them. California is the largest market for health insurance in the United States. When this bill becomes law in California, it will transform the way insurers do business in your state, in my state -- in every state in the U.S.

If you want to chat, ask questions, or interact, there is a Facebook group: HIAA 2012.

All of the information is on the website. You can download a petition, gather signatures, share your story -- and become part of the solution today.

Peaceful Insurance Warrior-ing,

Laurie Todd
health insurance help
__________________
"Harrison" - info (at) adrsupport.org
Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004
Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston
Founder & moderator of ADRSupport - 2004
Founder Arthroplasty Patient Foundation a 501(c)(3) - 2006
Creator & producer, Why Am I Still Sick? - 2012
Donate www.arthropatient.org/about/donate