this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2024
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TLDR: The insurance company has a new policy, set to take effect in February 2025, where they decide how much anesthesia is needed for surgeries. They won’t pay for any anesthesia over that, with exemptions for maternity and pediatric cases and for Connecticut providers.

The article also notes the insurance company reported a $2.3 billion net income increase in June 2024.

Edit to update: Anthem now says they won’t put this policy into effect

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[–] [email protected] 166 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

Biden could pardon the assassin...

[–] [email protected] 67 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Someone should start a petition

[–] [email protected] 67 points 2 weeks ago

https://www.change.org/

Was thinking about it. Even if it's not taken seriously and even if it never gets Joe Biden signature, this would be a real good way to send a message to the nation. Just how many people the absolute number of people who are angry to the point of letting people kill CEO's Because of injustice and inequality.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

He would have to be known. I would rather the guy stay anon so his life isn't ruined. He can live the rest of his life without the fear of corpo vengeance. Also he probably would never be able to be insured again lol. Either that or he's terminal and his care was denied so he had nothing to lose.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 2 weeks ago

I got diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in 2022 (cured now). I can totally see how someone could go full The Punisher on healthcare execs if their life-saving treatment was denied. The problem isn't facing your own mortality, that doesn't take long to process. What is an impossible pill to swallow is the thought of leaving your loved ones drowned in an avalanche of medical debt and possible financial ruin. Fuck that.

Deny
Depose
Defend

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 weeks ago

Pardons don't have to be specific, they've been used to pardon whole groups of people before (although it's properly called an amnesty, in that case) https://www.justsecurity.org/73851/the-constitutionality-of-non-specific-pardons/

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[–] [email protected] 108 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

So it's time to murder another ceo?

[–] [email protected] 114 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)
[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 weeks ago

Rejecting torture.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago

Sorry, I misspoke

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago

🍽🍽🍽🍽🍽🍽🍽

[–] [email protected] 93 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's a nice CEO you got there. Be a shame if something happened to them.

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[–] [email protected] 80 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

It was already reversed.

We got them scared

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago

Didn't verify, but someone said it was only reversed in like one out of the five proposed states. Figures

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 62 points 2 weeks ago

Well I certainly hope we don't need to see someone step in to explain to the company how wrong this is.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 81 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

“One of the reasons that she has remained so active in this particular field is because she has seen what it does to people when they can’t get insurance to cover the healthcare they need."

Sadists.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago

“One of the reasons that she has remained so active in this particular field is because she has seen what it does to people when they can’t get ~~insurance to cover~~ the healthcare they need."

FTFY. It makes the people desperate enough to buy her product.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"One of the reasons that she has remained so active in this particular field is because she has seen what it does to people when they can’t get insurance to cover the healthcare they need,” Money Inc. wrote.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 weeks ago

...and she liked it.

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

From January 2011 to November 2014, she served as the chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare

Small world, when you move in those circles. Imagine how these people convince themselves they're doing something good and admirable.

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So they can hurt millions of people all just a little bit more but somehow they are the good guys worth protecting?

Yeah, we'd be right to start carving names into bullets too. And yet people in charge can't figure out why protecting these people and their money means the mass populace hates them.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'd say any surgery without anesthesia is hurting more than a little bit. What are we, Gaza?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They aren't saying you won't get anesthesia. That would be wrong.

You just have to pay the bill when you wake up.

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

The fact that there aren't riots in the US demanding universal care simply baffles me.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

So, at the absolute most charitable interpretation, this punishes patients for having a slow surgical staff or for a surgery having complications. Like most insurance things, punishing the patient for shit completely outside of their control.

On top of this, best outcome of this (for doctors to try and ensure their patients don't need to decide between potential financial ruin or surgery) would be for all surgical departments to wildly inflate their surgery times so they can't ever be over estimate. This will significantly reduce the amount of surgeries able to be completed per day, and hike up the price even more as they have to bill for more time.

The only possible justification for this is attempting to find another place to lower financial costs to the insurance company at any "cost". I miss when these people had enough shame to not go this mask off.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago

This actually sets a time limit for anesthesia regardless of procedure or estimated time from the doctors.
It's entirely up to the insurance company to set an arbitrary time with which they think medical care should be provided within and deny past.

It's nothing but appalling cruelness for the sake of it, and a few extra dollars for a CEO and board of Directors that deserve the opposite of health care.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 weeks ago

Deny, Defend, Depose

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Of course, because in the USA, insurance companies think they understand medicine better than doctors.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 weeks ago

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy.

Ah, yes, if people complain about being mistreated, it is always "Our plan was misunderstood", or "The critique is based on misinformation"...

[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Sure would be a shame if another targeted assassination was carried out... I might even cry a little (don't look too closely, I'm not laughing, I'm crying).

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

How did they figure out the amount because the different people have different tolerances. My brother had a surgery that had not started and they were like. Your still awake. When meeting with the anethsiaologist before surgery he has to mention he may need a bit more than normal plus I believe there is a weight thing. Is the amount allowed assuming a worst case longest surgery with person who requires the most anesthia to six sigma of the population.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Exactly, like how redheads need more anesthesia

Real answer? Who knows

Cynical answer? However low their lawyers told them they could get away with without being liable

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago

That's right. Rush the surgeons. That will end well.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago

This is fucking insane

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago

Interesting timing for this given the United healthcare CEO assassination yesterday

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would find it darkly hilarious if this killing sparks a war

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would find it hilarious if it sparks class solidarity, personally

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Noticed the Connecticut exemption, must be a law there. I'll take "laws you wouldn't think could be necessary" for $400, Alex. Guess we better get California working on that as well.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You'd be surprised how many of them there are. Massachusetts has a law that requires insurance companies to cover transgender care, including both HRT and surgeries, because insurance wouldn't cover any of them otherwise. Trans related surgeries are classified as "cosmetic" and therefore not necessary or life-saving according to insurance companies, despite the mountain of studies saying how important they can be for people's quality of life.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The doctor took too long, and now your coverage is gone. That’s what happened. Bakow!

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