Health Care For America Now

Health Care for America Now Partners to Protest Insurance Companies; Demand They Stop Denying Care

Washington, DC – On Tuesday September 22, 2009, Health Care for America Now (HCAN) partners will hold a “Big Insurance: Sick Of It” day of action nationwide to highlight private health insurance industry abuses and call for reform that guarantees good, affordable health care and includes the choice of a strong national public health insurance option.

MoveOn.org Political Action is leading more than 100 events across the country while other Health Care for America Now coalition partners including SEIU are spearheading and participating in more than 50 additional protests outside insurance company offices nationwide. Three flagship events will be taking place outside major insurance company headquarters in Minneapolis (United HealthCare), Indianapolis (WellPoint), and Philadelphia (Cigna). Wendell Potter – the former Cigna executive who has been speaking out against the insurance industry – will be attending the event in Philadelphia.

Two other large-scale actions will take place in Hartford, CT – the insurance capital of the nation – and in Milwaukee, WI where WellPoint CEO Angela Braly is delivering the keynote speech at Marquette University’s annual Business Leaders Forum luncheon. Hundreds are also expected at a protest against United HealthCare in New York City.

As the health care reform debate rages on in Washington, the protests will highlight how Americans are suffering every day because of the profit-driven policies of the health insurance industry. People wronged by insurers will share their personal stories, and in some instances, protestors will read the stories of those who are no longer with us due to insurance company abuses.

For example, the event in Philadelphia will feature the story of Stacie Ritter who has four-year old twins with leukemia.  She is insured by Cigna, and the company has refused to provide treatment for the twins for a condition that resulted from their cancer treatment.  The kids need human growth hormone therapy in order to develop normally because the cancer treatment they received in the past disrupted their ability to develop like healthy kids would.  The doctor has prescribed the treatment, but Cigna alleges that it’s not necessary and won’t pay for it.

At all events nationwide, protesters will also demand health insurance company CEOs and head executives pledge to do the following:

• Not stand between a doctor and a patient when it comes to deciding what care that patient needs.   
• Not deny coverage or raise rates for individuals or businesses based on a pre-existing medical condition and end arbitrary caps on payments for necessary medical care.
• Terminate any policy or incentive that rewards employees financially or otherwise for denying care and rejecting claims.
• Not use any resources – including funds, employees, and facilities — to lobby against and oppose any aspect of the health reform proposals supported by President Obama and being considered by members of the United States Congress, including but not limited to a national public health insurance option

“The health insurance companies are spending $641,000 a day to be sure they keep raking in huge profits from the health care system,” said Richard Kirsch, National Campaign Manager, HCAN. “They take our money and then deny claims; raise premiums, co-pays, and deductibles at will; fabricate pre-existing conditions; and refuse to cover the treatments our doctors prescribe. Enough is enough. We’re holding these events to tell big insurance we’re sick of it. We need a guarantee of good coverage we can afford, and that includes giving us the choice of a strong national public health insurance option."

“The current health insurance system is making our country sick,” said Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn.org.  “If the health insurance industry wins in their current effort to kill true health care reform, we will all lose. Health care reform with a strong public health insurance option will help lower skyrocketing health care costs and expand coverage to millions of Americans, but the health insurance industry opposes it because they are more concerned with protecting their sky-rocketing profits. It’s time they got the message that we need real reform, now.”