In
a media statement released today by California NeCare, it was reported that as Congress
breaks for recess and the health insurance industry prepares to blitz
the American public with attack ads on health care reform, Brave New
Films kicks off its new "Sick for Profit" online campaign. The first video contrasts the lavish
lifestyle and extravagant earnings of United Health Group's (UHG) CEO
with their policyholders, who suffer from severe medical conditions
but have been denied proper medical care. According to Forbes
magazine, United Health Group CEO Stephen Hemsley owns three-quarters
of a billion dollars in UHG stock options, and his 2008 compensation
was a whopping $3,241,042.00.
At
the same time, UHG is unwilling to provide the care for its insured.
UHG patient Holly Bailey suffers from idiopathic pseudoobstruction.
Ms. Bailey's gastrointestinal system is unable to absorb nutrients
from food. Despite having gone through a series of invasive
procedures, baffled doctors determined that Ms. Bailey could only
survive through the use of TNP, or total parenteral nutrition
(intravenous feeding as her sole source of nutrition). However, UHG
denied Ms. Bailey the TNP her body needed, citing that it was an
unnecessary procedure. UHG refused to pay for the only form of
treatment that could save Ms. Bailey's life, forcing her and her
family to come up with the $6,000 cost. Only by taking out a loan on
their home were Ms. Bailey's parents able to come up with the money
to pay for the costs of treatment.
"They
deemed [TNP] 'medically unnecessary' and that they were not going to
pay for any of it. I tried to explain to them that if I do not have
this, I will die, and still they refused." Holly Bailey, United
Health Group Patient.
As the health care debate rages on, powerful insurance companies are spending millions of dollars to control the direction of the debate, obfuscate these issues.
