My Name is Brian and I Have United Healthcare Insurance
That’s right. The great Satan in the healthcare debate; the company that’s sending its employees to town halls and tea parties posing as concerned Americans who love our current healthcare system; the company that owns the Lewin Group, a supposedly independent think tank that’s been supplying Republicans with their anti-reform talking points; the company that made 5 billion dollars last year despite a recession. I give them $400 a month. It gets worse…
So what do I do? I’m a writer, which in case you didn’t realize, does not come with an abundant package of healthcare options. When the cobra insurance from my most recent gig jumped to $750 per month, I told them to shove it. (I said those actual words, in fact. I am meaner to customer service representatives than anyone else in the world. And I’m comfortable with that.) It’s called Cobra insurance, incidentally, because if you don’t keep a careful eye on it it’ll kill you in your sleep. Because I’ve had a history of somewhat taxing medical problems (did you know you could be allergic to air?), going without insurance wasn’t an option. So I shopped around, compared prices, talked to my doctors, took a break to look at porn, compared more prices and found my savior: United Healthcare.
Honestly, their pricing was the best. They had several of my regular physicians in network. And their prescription drug coverage was moderately acceptable. So now I’m stuck. I finally have health insurance that I sort of like, but it requires me to hand my money to the devil. Universal health insurance is my #1 issue as a voter. I supported Hillary Clinton long after it made sense (otherwise known as “Iowa”), solely because of her devotion to the cause. If Obama passes reform without a public option I will not vote for him in 2012, no matter who his opponent is. That’s how crazy and unilateral I am on this issue. And yet, for some reason, I can’t get myself to cancel my policy with United.
I feel like a traitor. Like the sort of person who makes his friends go to an all-night karaoke bar then announces he doesn’t actually like to sing. I believe deeply that United is a terrible company, that their profits are made in the most disgusting of circumstances. I believe that there is such a thing as Death Panels — they’re more commonly known as the Executive Boards of every major health insurance company. But for me, they haven’t been so bad. So what do I do? Do I stand by my principles and cancel my health insurance with United, taking great pride in telling another customer service rep to go have sex with themselves? Or do I act prudently, keeping my insurance while fighting hard against the people who provide it. Honestly, I have no idea. If you have any counsel, I’d be happy to hear. Just don’t recommend anti-depressants, because I don’t have coverage for that. Believe me, I’ve tried.
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Don’t beat yourself up!
As a matter of fact, I visited this past weekend with a friend whose wife passed away last year after a two year battle with cancer. I asked him how things went with his insurance company. He went on for a half hour about how well he was treated, even making me promise to interview his customer service rep who stayed with him through the whole ordeal and write about her. Who do you think was the insurance company? United Healthcare.
Moral to the story is there are not absolutes. If they have the best insurance for you, go for it…just make sure they pay up should you find you need them. But that’s what there are lawyers like me for…to make sure they do.
As for being allergic to air – totally believable since you live in LA!
Rick, thanks. I feel better. And I mentally compiling a list of health care providers to sue.
And sadly, I live in New York. How did I become so soft?
In response to another comment. See in context »You’re a writer who has health insurance, count your blessings, what is truly unbelievable is you’re a writer who can afford health insurance. You’re punking us ain’t ya.
Ha, Lib, no, no punking. I can’t really afford it, it’s currently my greatest single expense, but I can’t take the risk of going without it. I tried that once, got really sick, and paid the price. Literally. I know from these experiences how important it is that everyone have health insurance and have access to the best doctors and medicines when they need them. That’s why healthcare became my biggest voting concern. I have a feeling that if everyone who’s against healthcare reform had to go through a serious illness with bad insurance or no insurance, this whole debate would’ve been over before it began.
In response to another comment. See in context »Keep your day job, United Healthcare & Rick Ungar’s business card. And help keep Nancy Pelosi’s feet to the public option fire; she is still swearing the final bill won’t pass without it. I am still holding my breath.
What you should really be pondering is how sick are you going to get without coverage and what your integrity means to you. I do not think integrity is something to die for in this country at least. . . but a decently healthy life lived without integrity is not worth much. Keep your insurance if you are ok with holding others (Obama as you mentioned in your post)to a different standard than you hold yourself. I am sure you understand by paying that $400 you are perpetuating the evil that is currently tearing our country apart. In the end, you have to decide if you can live with yourself as a hypocrite. Because insured (I mean no offense here) that is what you are. Should you decide to continue dancing with the devil, in the interest of full disclosure, all future health care posts should include a disclaimer divulging your health care choices. Either option will speak volumes about your character. Lastly, your example about the karaoke bar is a letting yourself off a little easy if you ask me.
Geez Rachel- kind of tough on him don’t you think? It’s not a sin to have health insurance! The ins is not helping everyone to hvave. Just curious – do you have health insurance? Who do you use? I
In response to another comment. See in context »My wife and I have had United for the past few years and hadn’t fallen really ill till recently, so I didn’t have much to say about them.
But recently, my wife passed out at work and was rushed to the hospital. United has payed their share of most of the bills – blood tests, doctors, hospitals etc, but have so far refused to pay for the ambulance- they claim the the ambulance service (associated with the FDNY) is out of network !!
Can’t imagine how someone who has passed out is supposed to select which ambulance responds to the 911 call to take them to the hospital.
Gotta love it…
Brian,
I loved your passage about following Hillary Clinton long past when it was reasonable, though I do not count Iowa as that moment. In many ways, I still wish she had won. Obama has filled his plate so heavily that there is a chance that he might not get anything through at all. Hillary would have made this her singular goal and I think there might have been a better chance at success…but I guess “might have been” is and will remain a useless exercise.
What is not, however, are pieces like this and the hope that every citizen will rise up and speak truth for this issue…NOW.
Cheers,
Robert Sandy
Chicago, IL
thanks for the support, Robert. I agree, Hillary was alive and well long after Iowa, it was mostly for comedic effect. I think it retrospect it was a sign that things weren’t gonna go her away, but I was still with her long after Super Tuesday…
In response to another comment. See in context »Oh, an aside: About a week ago I went to the pharmacy to pick some prescriptions. Last month, the same scripts cost me $10 each. This month, however, they were $187, $168, and 554, respectively.
The rep at BC/BS of Illinois had little to say other than the co-pays on those classes of drugs has not been raised to a full 30% of their cost. Period. No explanation or concern that this rise occurred without notification to their subscribers. This after I already pay nearly $200 every pay period for my insurance plan.
Argh!
I had a similar phenomenon with my prescription meds too. One month they’re $200, the next they’re $75, the last time they were somewhere in between. And the idea of getting a cogent explanation from my CVS representative is laughable…
In response to another comment. See in context »frodo- any chance your last drug co=pays of $10 were the end of the year? You may be paying full price now until you reach your deductible. This is often the reason the prices jump so much. One you hit the deductible, you should go back to the $10.
In response to another comment. See in context »Brian,
I feel sorry for you, and want you to know that similar choices are made by people daily. Do they eat at the expensive mom-and-pop place, or choose the cheaper evil big chain that is slowly killing off the weak and the old? Often the choice is towards the material instead of the immaterial. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
On the macro side of your problem. I agree, there does need to be a change, desperately. All you voters, go do something. I’ll…….think about stuff.
[...] 7.My Name is Brian and I Have United Healthcare Insurance – Brian Who do you think was the insurance company? United Healthcare. Moral to the story is there are not absolutes. If they have the best insurance for you, go for it…just make sure they pay up should you find you need them. [...]
[...] 7.My Name is Brian and I Have United Healthcare Insurance – Brian Who do you think was the insurance company? United Healthcare. Moral to the story is there are not absolutes. If they have the best insurance for you, go for it…just make sure they pay up should you find you need them. [...]
[...] 9.My Name is Brian and I Have United Healthcare Insurance – Brian United Healthcare. Moral to the story is there are not absolutes. If they have the best insurance for you, go for it…just make sure they pay up should you find you need them. But that’s what there are lawyers like me for…to make sure they do. http://trueslant.com/donovan/2009/08/28/my-name-is-brian-and-i-have-united-healthcare-insurance/ [...]
[...] 8.My Name is Brian and I Have United Healthcare Insurance – Brian Do I stand by my principles and cancel my health insurance with United, taking great pride in telling another customer service rep to go have sex with themselves? Or do I act prudently, keeping my insurance while fighting hard against the people who provide it. [...]
[...] 7.My Name is Brian and I Have United Healthcare Insurance – Brian Rick, thanks. I feel better. And I mentally compiling a list of health care providers to sue. … United has payed their share of most of the bills – blood tests, doctors, hospitals etc, but have so far refused to pay for the ambulance- they claim the the ambulance service (associated with the FDNY) is out of network !! [...]
[...] 3.My Name is Brian and I Have United Healthcare Insurance – Brian Do I stand by my principles and cancel my health insurance with United, taking great pride in telling another customer service rep to go have sex with themselves? Or do I act prudently, keeping my insurance while fighting … Rick, thanks. I feel better. And I mentally compiling a list of health care providers to sue. [...]