Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise • Hacker News Board

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#161

Post by harimau777 » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:01 PM UTC

dboreham wrote: post #94

Miner49er wrote: post #72

It shouldn't even be legal for health insurance providers to deny claims. It's essentially them practicing medicine without a license, because they're making calls about what healthcare a person needs or doesn't need, only a person's doctor(s) should be able to make those decisions.

Otoh some medical providers like to over bill and over treat.

It seems to me that should then be handled by the legal system or perhaps the licensing boards. That is to say, the insurance companies should be forbidden from denying coverage and if they believe that something is going on then they can alert the police or take the doctor to court.

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#162

Post by itishappy » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:01 PM UTC

tboyd47 wrote: post #65

dgfitz wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh? I don't know a single person who ENJOYS going to the doctor, or needing medical treatment. What are you on about?

There are lots of people who get freaked out and go to the hospital for every little thing. We used to have a term for that: "hypochondriac." Now it's become socially acceptable, so you don't hear the term as much. Everyone knows Americans pay the most for medical treatment, but the life expectancy is not that high. If you know your behavior isn't good for you, but you can't stop yourself, well, that's an addiction.

> Everyone knows Americans pay the most for medical treatment, but the life expectancy is not that high.

Sure.

> If you know your behavior isn't good for you

This doesn't follow. Our healthcare system might be worse than some but that does not imply it's bad for you. That same logic would imply getting punched in the face is good for you because it's better than getting shot.

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#163

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:02 PM UTC

oulipo wrote: post #34

lopalimpa wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Murdering a murderer to save many innocents could be considered ethical by some?" This is a heavy statement. More I read, heavy it gets. Kill people it never the answer. The ideia that "I" have the power is weak. People, together, have power, however they don't know what to do. In his case the easiest way to win is pressuring the government, with the people, for clear changes.

Well, in 1789 France, we killed people It worked beautifully

[deleted]

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#164

Post by onionisafruit » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:02 PM UTC

She says that you can’t find denial rates for specific providers then she gives denial rates for specific providers. I’m not sure if she cited a source. I’m curious where her data comes from.

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#165

Post by philipov » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:02 PM UTC

tossandthrow wrote: post #42

jimbokun wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand what you're saying. But a murder carried out by a random citizen is still worse than a death sentence after a fair trial and convicted by a jury of your peers.

It was not the justification of murder I was talking about. Simply the fact that murder as a solution is absolutely accepted in the US.

When all the acceptable solutions are taken off the table, people start turning to unacceptable solutions. It's not good, because the erosion of social institutions will worsen the situation for everyone, but the only way to deal with this is to put the acceptable solutions back on the table. If we don't want to live and die through the inevitable consequences, our government needs to stop the corporate abuse of power that has led to this.

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#166

Post by amarcheschi » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:02 PM UTC

I don't know what happened but this super duper upvoted post disappeared from the home of hn. perhaps moderators temporarily shadow content that is upvoted too much? Or else?

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#167

Post by lofenfew » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:04 PM UTC

lapcat wrote: post #154

Worth noting: neither major Presidential candidate, nor the news media, made health care a focus of the recent election. The issue was almost ignored. And neither major political party offers much: the Democratic establishment will defend the Affordable Care Act to the death (literally in this case), despite the fact that it's not particularly affordable, becoming more unaffordable over time, and it continues to ensh…

The affordable care act is the most reasonable path from the current american system to a system on par with other first world countries. This especially given the sort of republican opposition it's liable to face. It's current form is due in substantial part to the republicans gutting it, so you can't really blame the dems for it not working very well.

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#168

Post by harimau777 » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:05 PM UTC

seneca wrote: post #71

boxed wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A claim denial that results in denial of life-saving treatment could never be counted as either of those charges. First-degree murder is when you willingly, and with forethought, plans and carries out the killing of a human. Which seems to me to be 100% what you described.

Denying a claim can not kill someone. Disease and injury killing a person. Claim denial prevents financial support for intervention in resolving a disease or injury. That is not the same thing, and equivocating them is sophistry.

Pulling a trigger can not kill someone. Bullets kill people. /s

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#169

Post by siliconc0w » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:05 PM UTC

We should just have single payer if we have to constantly police these companies.

Re: Feds help health insurers hide their dirty secret: denials on the rise

#170

Post by bee_rider » Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 4:05 PM UTC

tjpnz wrote: post #38

ziddoap wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not a lawyer, but I would assume that death due to omission of expected care fits pretty neatly under "negligent homicide".

Duty of care?

It is weird—I would expect only the folks who make decisions as to which procedures are medically necessary (just doctors ideally) to have a duty of care. But insurance companies are bouncing back procedures are not medically necessary, so maybe we’re due for a re-adjustment in the expectations as to who has that duty.

It is surprising if insurance companies what to sign themselves up for this sort of obligation. But obviously they’ll take all the privileges of the decision making process if we don’t also hold them to the responsibilities.