Florida Insurance Law Blog

Well, there are a few words in this Non Sequitor cartoon, but just a few!

I never can quite understand how voters elect politicians who support legislation that favors big corporations over the little guy. Some folks continually vote against their own better interest.

How some legislators propose legislation that is drafted by the insurance industry and their lobbyists, and against their own constituents, is beyond any logic.

This cartoon just about says it all...... http://www.seattlepi.com/dayart/20100708/cartoon20100708_fixed.jpg

I am so excited to announce that Florida is still right at the top........at the top of the list of states that have the most people without health insurance.

Actually, we're number 3, behind Texas and New Mexico. Here's the link to the Washington Post article regarding the new U.S Census report: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/27/AR2010072705835.html?wpisrc=nl_cuzhead

What the article does not mention, is how the cost of all the uninsured folks is passed to the state and the taxpayers, mainly through care that uninsured folks seek at public hospitals and emergency rooms.

Also, the article doesn't address the problem that we, at Liggio Benrubi see, and fight every day: denied claims by health insurers and HMOS for folks that DO have health insurance coverage, wrongful cancellations of coverage, and failure to pay and underpayment of medical and hospital charges.

Another dubious we're number one(three), for Florida!

Yesterday, the Consumer federation of America issued a report on various types of "add on" insurance. Here's the link to this excellent report: http://admin.consumerfed.org/elements/www.consumerfed.org/File/Insurance_add-on_consumer_alert.pdf

We've handled many cases over the years when claims were denied under these "add on" insurance companies, credit life and disability insurance, title insurance, travel insurance, bextended warranties, and others.

Unfortunately, the "good deal" and "peace of mind" sold to our clients when they purchased the insurance ended up to be a sour deal and a real headache, when they needed the insurance and retained us.

I highly recommend this terrific report, and the report itself has links that will help you to educate yourself even more.

The politicians who were against the recent Health Care Reform Act, and the health insurance industry, kept repeating the myth that most people are happy with their health insurance.

Yeah right! Uh huh.........

People are tickled when their claims aren't paid, or the insurer pays a fraction of their bills.

People are tickled when they can't get medical care recommended by their doctor because the health insurance won't approve it.

People are tickled when their physician prescribes a medicine, but their health insurance company changes the prescription to a cheaper, less effective generic drug.

People are REALLY jumping for joy each year on renewal, when the coverage is limited, again, and they get a premium increase: more money for less benefits.

.........and now this: Consumers Union issued a report that shows, while they are limiting care and benefits, and jacking up premiums, a number of the Blue Cross "nonprofit" insurers are sitting on huge surpluses of cash.

Here's the link to the Washington Post story, which itself contains the link to the study itself:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/25/AR2010072503295.html?wpisrc=nl_cuzhead

Over the years, we've had many cases, where our client cared enough for themselves and their loved ones to purchase health insurance or an HMO plan, only to learn, when they need the benefits, that the insurance company of HMO has decided to rescind their insurance because they supposedly failed to disclose something in their medical history when they applied for the coverage in the first place.

The person and their loved ones are forced to fight with the insurance company or HMO when they are sick, and in debt. In other words, they must fight the insurance company or HMO when they are least able to do so, at their lowest ebb.

One of the more important aspects of the recent Health Care Reform act is its Patients Bill of Rights, that will stop insurance companies and HMOs from rescinding coverage unless the insured actually commits fraud (intentionally lies) when the coverage is applied for. Here is the link to the Health Care Reform website that will explain it more fully: http://healthreform.gov/newsroom/new_patients_bill_of_rights.html

Jeff Liggio