The head of the health insurance company that I work for is in the top 5 of this list. The same company that supplies me substandard coverage. The reason I am praying for a public option. I am praying for a public option to go into effect ASAP. I am one of the reasons why President Obama wanted healthcare overhauled as soon as possible. I need to go for a CT scan. My doctor can't figure out why I've had a headache the last 3 months. I've been on steroids and antibiotics and it won't go away. I take VERY powerful pain medication for my fibromyalgia, and it only dulls the pain. So I called my health insurance carrier to find out what my copay for an in network lab would be to get the scan and was told $300.00. $300.00! So, I am hoping to get the scan under a new public option. I refuse to put it on my credit card! The plan I work for as one of it's lines of business handles both Medicaid and Medicare. Both plans have better coverage than I do. I have had to go to my doctors and tell them they have to take me off the medications I was on. Medications that were working for me, and to put me on something else. Why? Because my health insurance did want to pay for it. And you all think that your medical decisions are between you and your doctor when you are on private health insurance?? Wake up!! Your insurance carrier and your wallet do at this point! Your and my insurance company have review panels, as do Medicare and Medicaid. These are not death panels. If they were they'd already be unplugging people all over the country! LMAO. The review panels look at standard of care. They look at what medical procedures have been proven to help people and those that do not. They won't cover a procedure that has not been proven. Would you want them to?? They also look at new medical procedures and research constantly, as to stay on the cutting edge of care. To add new procedure once they have been proven. These panels are the same for private health insurance as they are for Medicaid and Medicare (which everyone keeps forgetting are both successful government run healthcare plans!) and they will be the same for any new government healthcare plans. The plans are constantly reviewing and constantly adding covered services. Medicaid which covers a lot of children's with disabilities, never turns a child away because they are disabled either mentally or physically, and either will a new government plan. All 3 of my nephews are on Medicaid. The oldest has autism, and the government plan gives him the therapy that he needs. Most private health insurance companies do NOT cover these, but the government plan does! He is growing and thriving! I support a government plan, because I am on both sides of the coin. I work for Medicaid, and Medicare so I can see how well the plans cover the member's and I have a disabled nephew who has benefited from the plan greatly. I imagine people were just as of afraid of Medicare and Medicaid before the plans were given a chance to prove themselves. They are successful and that's why they're not going anywhere. These are some of the reasons why I support healthcare reform. I can understand why some have become angry and frusterated. They are getting the correct information from their news sources, or their Republican representatives. That's where the internet comes in. If you do research and get the facts it's pretty easy to understand! Please get a reality check at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/
----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Margie for Obama and Biden (200945058)
To: (16469283)
Date: 8/13/2009 10:01:42 AM
Subject: Top 10 Health Care CEO salaries for 2008 - Repost
FierceHealthcar..e reports the following top 10 CEO salaries for 2008:
* Ron Williams - Aetna - Total Compensation: $24,300,112 (11,682.74 an hour)
* H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA - Total Compensation: $12,236,740.
* Angela Braly - WellPoint - Total Compensation: $9,844,212.
* Dale Wolf - Coventry Health Care - Total Compensation: $9,047,469.
* Michael Neidorff - Centene - Total Compensation: $8,774,483.
* James Carlson - AMERIGROUP - Total Compensation: $5,292,546.
* Michael McCallister - Humana - Total Compensation: $4,764,309.
* Jay Gellert - Health Net - Total Compensation: $4,425,355.
* Richard Barasch - Universal American - Total Compensation: $3,503,702.
* Stephen Hemsley - UnitedHealth Group - Total Compensation: $3,241,042.