The quick answer is "No". Do We Care Enough To End The Suffering Our Healthcare System Inflicts? https://www.forbes.com/sites/robert...the-suffering-our-healthcare-system-inflicts/
Annual ‘winners’ for most egregious US healthcare profiteering announced Selling body parts without consent and billing desperate parents $97,599 for air transport among worst examples https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/07/annual-awards-healthcare-profiteering The 2024 “winners” of the annual Shkreli awards, given each year to perpetrators of the most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction within the healthcare industry, have been released from the Lown Institute, an independent healthcare thinktank. The recipients are chosen by a panel made up of health policy experts, clinicians, journalists and advocates. The awards are named after Martin Shkreli, the infamous “pharma bro” who rose to international notoriety after increasing the price of lifesaving anti-parasitic drug Daraprim 50-fold. “All these stories paint a picture of a healthcare industry in desperate need of transformation. In 2024, healthcare practices were put in the spotlight,” Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, said during the ceremony. “But doing these awards every year shows us that this is nothing new. We’re hoping that these stories illuminate what changes are needed.” The No 10 spot this year went to the University of North Texas health science center in Fort Worth for allegedly neglecting to notify next of kin before selling body parts of deceased people. An NBC News investigation uncovered that the school did not properly receive consent from the deceased or their family members before dissecting and distributing unclaimed bodies, despite the network finding that said family members were fairly easy to identify and contact. The ninth spot was given to the outdated practice of baby tongue-tie cutting, which continues to be falsely touted as a cure for several ailments, from sleep apnea to nursing trouble, according to the New York Times. Shady billing practices from Zynex Medical, a company specializing in nerve-stimulation devices used for pain management, took the No 8 slot. Patients received Zynex devices understanding the expense would be covered by insurance, according to a report from Stat News. Users then got unsolicited supplies of items like batteries and electrode pads delivered to them (often excessive quantities), which they ultimately got charged for. The report statesthat almost 70% of Zynex’s $184m in revenue in 2023 came from batteries and electrode pads. “This is just classic over-billing. It’s fraud,” Patricia Kelmar, a senior director at the research group US Pirg and judge on the panel, said. “The patients feel that they owe the money because they already received the supplies. We see a lot of this kind of abuse within the pain-management field.” The seventh spot was given to Sara England and her infant son, Amari Vaca. After the three-month-old experienced severe respiratory distress two months after open-heart surgery, doctors at Natividad medical center in Salinas, California, chose to have him transferred via air ambulance to a medical center in San Francisco. He recovered and Cigna later deemed the service “not medically necessary”. The family was given a $97,599 bill. “This is happening everywhere,” Kelmar said. “The insurance denial here is that it should have been a ground ambulance instead of air, but how is the patient supposed to know that? This is a mother taking medical advice from the doctors.” At No 6 was Medicare’s mass billing for urinary catheters. As many as 450,000 beneficiaries had bills for catheters submitted on their behalf in 2023, representing an 800% increase over previous years. Just seven suppliers were responsible for $2bn of these suspicious charges. Taking the No 5 spot was Memorial medical center (a former non-profit turned for-profit) in Las Cruces, New Mexico, for allegations of refusing cancer treatment to patients or demanding upfront payments, even from those with insurance. ProPublica’s uncovering of a once-celebrated oncologist’s pattern of malpractice and trails of suspicious deaths came in at No 4. Dr Thomas C Weiner of Helena, Montana, reportedly subjected one patient to unnecessary cancer treatments for more than a decade, amid a myriad of other shocking revelations. Lumakras, a cancer drug from Amgen that was granted accelerated FDA approval at a daily dose of 960mg, despite findings that a 240mg dose offered similar efficacy with reduced toxicity and risk of side effects, grabbed the third spot. “Pharma companies have that same incentive to get a return on profits,” said Kelmar. “The healthcare industry is a business, and businesses will try to get the highest profits possible.” At No 2 was the behemoth that is UnitedHealth and how it’s become the fourth-largest business in the nation. Doctors for United have reported pressure to reduce time spent with patients, and make patients seem as sick as possible through aggressive medical coding tactics. In a highly competitive year, the top spot went to Steward Health Care, whose CEO, Ralph de la Torre, is accused of prioritizing private-equity profits over patient care. His financial scheming led to bankruptcy, leaving hospitals in shambles, employees laid off and communities with less healthcare access. “I want to say that this is our backyard,” said Saini. “What was going on here was on the grapevine for many years. And if we knew about it, then we have to ask: ‘Where are the regulators? Where are the people who should’ve known better?”
Judge Orders UnitedHealth To Pay Millions For Misleading Insurance Customers The history of this case dates back to 2006 when the then-Attorney General sued HealthMarkets for reported misleading marketing tactics. https://www.blackenterprise.com/jud...-millions-for-misleading-insurance-customers/
Now the shareholders are getting involved; most likely they are afraid all the negative publicity regarding abusive treatment of customers will tank the stock. Shareholders urge UnitedHealth to analyze impact of healthcare denials https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shareholders-urge-unitedhealth-analyze-impact-222544812.html NEW YORK / BOSTON (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group shareholders on Wednesday said they requested the company prepare a report on the costs and public health impact related to its "practices that limit or delay access to healthcare." If the proposal makes it to a vote at the company's annual meeting it would raise a charged topic after a senior executive was gunned down in Manhattan last month. A spokesperson for UnitedHealth said the company will respond to shareholder proposals for its 2025 proxy statement once it files the document that serves as an agenda for its annual meeting, which has not yet been scheduled. In recent years, the company has issued its proxy in April ahead of a June annual meeting. Those who filed the resolution include religious groups led by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary of Quebec, and Trillium Asset Management. The group proposed an analysis of how prior authorization, or approval required by an insurer before a patient can receive medical care, and denials of medical services lead patients to forgo treatment. “The pattern of delays and denials of necessary medical care by UnitedHealth and other insurance companies harms more than just the patient themselves,” Wendell Potter, president of the Center for Health & Democracy and a former Cigna executive, said in a statement sent in support of the resolution by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. UnitedHealth runs the country's largest health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, as well as pharmacy benefit manager Optum and medical practices. The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December galvanized criticism of U.S. health insurers, with swarms of patients describing delayed or denied care and accusing companies of using deceptive practices. Luigi Mangione, 26, who was accused of killing Thompson, pleaded not guilty in a New York court in December after receiving thousands of dollars in public donations shortly after his arrest. In a December statement, UnitedHealth said it approves and pays for an average of 90% of medical claims submitted. "Highly inaccurate and grossly misleading information has been circulated about our company’s treatment of insurance claims," UnitedHealth said. UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty in a message to employees described Thompson as "one of the good guys," adding the company would continue to service the most vulnerable Americans.
Every day we are seeing more stories coming out from doctors about how health insurance companies abused their patients. It's long overdue to put a stop to how these insurance companies are brutalizing their customers. ‘Do you understand she’s asleep right now and she has breast cancer?’: UnitedHealthcare interrupts surgery to ask if patient really needs to stay overnight. It gets worse “Insurance just keeps getting worse.” https://www.dailydot.com/news/unitedhealthcare-interrupts-surgery/ A surgeon operating on a breast cancer patient says that UnitedHealthcare called her during surgery to find out if inpatient care was necessary. In a TikTok video, Dr. Elisabeth Potter claims that she had to stop in the middle of a breast reconstruction procedure to get on the phone with a health insurance representative and confirm that a patient needed to stay in the hospital overnight. UnitedHealthcare has been the target of scrutiny and criticism ever since a gunman fatally shot former CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan in December 2024. Doctor says UnitedHealthcare stopped approved surgery Dr. Potter, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and DIEP specialist in Austin, Texas, posted a TikTok video on Jan. 7, 2024, claiming that UnitedHealthcare demanded she call them back immediately while her patient lay unconscious on the operating table. The post currently has over two million views. “So I scrubbed out of my case and I called UnitedHealthcare, and the gentleman said he needed some information about [the patient],” Potter said, “wanted to know her diagnosis and whether her inpatient stay should be justified.” Potter says she was performing “two bilateral DIEP flap surgeries and two bilateral tissue expander surgeries” that day, which are common breast reconstruction procedures after a mastectomy or lumpectomy for related cancer. Patients usually stay in the hospital for two to five days to recover just from a DIEP flap. But it gets worse. Potter went on to claim that the person she spoke to lacked basic information about the patient. “I was like, ‘do you understand that she’s asleep right now and she had breast cancer?’” she asked him. “The gentleman said, ‘actually, I don’t, that’s a different department that would know that information.’” Potter informed the representative that UnitedHealthcare had approved the surgery, that the patient did need to stay in the hospital overnight, and that they had all the information they needed already. She then went back to doing her job. TikTok commenters hate on health insurance companies As per usual when people share their health insurance horror stories, social media commenters expressed their anger toward the company for coming between a doctor and her patient. This time, they focused their ire on UnitedHealthcare, wondering if anything has changed as a result of the bad press they received following the shooting. “They just put that patient at a higher risk for a negative outcome!” said one TikTok user on Potter’s video. “They should be sued for delay in care!” “United clearly learned nothing from the situation that just passed,” said another. “Who’s in charge at United now?” Others offered up their own UnitedHealthcare struggles woes “United is the WORST insurance company ive ever had. Theyre sending me through hoops just to make me find a dentist that they cover for my 2 year old,” wrote a stressed out mother. “I found a place that will finally take him and … Theyre out of network. They wont even partially pay. The only place in network near us wont call me back.” Does insurance cover reconstruction surgery for breast cancer patients? Most of the time, yes, U.S. health insurance policies must cover standard breast reconstruction procedures like DIEP flaps and tissue expanders. This is thanks to the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act, signed into law on Oct. 1, 1998. The law requires most group insurance plans to cover these surgeries if they also cover mastectomies for breast cancer. While breast enhancement surgery is typically labeled cosmetic and is therefore not covered, reconstruction related to cancer is considered part of a patient’s overall care. UnitedHealthcare’s image fails to recover Ever since former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed by a lone gunman, the majority of the public has turned against the company rather than the one who pulled the trigger. The act proved that disdain for the U.S. health insurance industry crosses political lines, as claim denials and other imposed obstacles to care know no party. According to a University of Chicago poll released in late December 2024, seven out of 10 respondents said that health insurance companies making huge profits and denying claims are responsible for Thompson’s death by at least “a moderate amount.” Meanwhile, Luigi Mangione, the man arrested for Thompson’s murder, has become something of a folk hero figure among those negatively affected by the industry. The Daily Dot has reached out to @drelisabethpotter for comment via TikTok. (Article has pictures and embedded media)
He's the hero America doesn't deserve, but the one it needs right now. So they'll crucify him. Because he can take it. Because he's our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.
Increasing public sympathy for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, could pose the possibility of jury nullification despite the overwhelming evidence mounted against him, some legal experts say. Mangione faces multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism under federal and state charges in New York and Pennsylvania, after allegedly gunning down Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan on Dec 4. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first. Mangione’s fandom could lead to jury nullification Mangione’s fandom could lead to jury nullification Since his arrest, Mangione’s online fandom has rapidly grown, with supporters posting sympathetic messages, creating fan accounts and even raising thousands on crowdfunding sites to pay for his legal defense fund. To these sympathizers, Mangione’s alleged crime symbolizes a rejection of the American health care system. That, coupled with him being easy on the eyes, has turned the suspect into a “modern-day Robin Hood,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told NewsNation. “I have never seen a criminal defendant, much less an accused murderer, receive as much sympathy both on traditional media and social media,” he said. “He is a folk hero of sorts to many.” Rahmani said there is a “very high possibility” of jury nullification in his case where a sympathetic juror could hold out for Mangione. Jury nullification occurs when a jury returns a not guilty verdict even though jurors believe beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant has broken the law. This may happen when jurors disagree with the law or the punishment. If that happens, there is a high probability of a mistrial, which happens when jurors aren’t able to reach the same verdict, Rahmani said. A nullifying juror could also convince other jurors to choose an acquittal. Defense lawyers will lean in Mangione’s defense lawyers, like any defense attorneys, will try to utilize any possibility of nullification, former federal prosecutor Joel Cohen said. “That’s their job,” he said, to find those nullifiers and keep them on the jury, and in this case, there is a real possibility of it happening. With the seemingly overwhelming evidence against Mangione, jury nullification could be what gets him acquitted or results in a mistrial, so the defense will lean into this, he said. In most cases, people come in with some sort of bias, and even when they say they are capable of putting that aside for the case, it still manages to creep in, Cohen said. While a juror does not have the right to nullify, once they are seated, they have the power to do it, he added. “Most jurors who have that nullifying feeling are not going to be honest about it most of the time, so it’s really hard to get into their heart and soul to find out what they’re really thinking and what the reason is for wanting to be on the jury,” he added. That’s where judges and prosecutors really need to step up and do their best to weed it out, he said.
Looking at enrollment by county in red states -- a huge portion of the Obamacare enrollment comes from very red counties. Florida once again leads in Obamacare enrollment. Florida leads the nation In Obamacare enrollment — again https://www.alternet.org/florida-obamacare/
Over 55% voted for a constitutional right to abortion,legalized marijuana, and a higher minimum wage which makes you wonder why they keep voting Republican.