Letter to the Editor
The Gainsville Sun
Article published Feb 9, 2007
It is time to dispel the myth that only the uninsured have problems with our health care system. My wife and I worked for over 25 years and had medical insurance all that time. We retired recently and sought health insurance coverage with two major companies. We were both in good health but, much to our dismay, were denied coverage on the pretext of “pre-existing medical conditions.”
Letters from our doctors documenting non-existence of the alleged conditions were of no avail. To illustrate the absurdity of the insurance companies, I allegedly had a pre-existing condition of nodules of the lung and thyroid when, in fact, the nodules were harmless as shown by multiple follow-up CAT scans. My wife allegedly had chronic back problems when, in fact, she had a minor, temporary back strain totally corrected by simple chiropractic care.
The insurance companies gave us other fabricated “conditions.” Evidently, any history of use of the health care system tags an individual as a poor insurance risk. The fact we paid premiums for decades and had no chronic or major health problem carried no weight.
What is wrong is a profit-driven health care industry whereby the guiding principle is: Pay for coverage but don’t use it. I strongly support a single-payer health care system, as provided in Rep. John Conyers’ proposed bill H.R. 676 – The United States National Health Insurance Act.
It will provide everyone with health care, without exclusion and less cost to taxpayers.
Because a single-payer system benefits the people, not the insurance companies, H.R. 676 faces formidable opposition from our corporate-driven politicians.
Larry Thompson,
Gainesville