Opinion

Abolish for-profit health plans

LETTER — Posted June 9, 2008

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Regarding "Health plans say they'll risk losing members to protect profit margins" (Article, May 19): The front-page headline says it all. For the for-profit health insurers human life has no value, only profits matter. What else has to happen for everyone to realize that this is the No. 1 problem facing not only medicine but the country as a whole? These entities are running a triple extortion racket and are holding a gun to the heads of physicians, employers and patients at the same time.

As they drop patients, deny claims and flaunt payment laws, real people's lives are being profoundly harmed and the health of the nation deteriorates. The ranks of the uninsured swell and everyone else has to pay for it. The insurers continue to convert nonprofit plans to for-profit and merge in an act of buying and selling "covered lives."

It is time for the AMA to stand up and shout, "Human life is not a commodity." The AMA needs to take on a more activist role and should be on every news outlet pushing for the end of for-profit health insurers. This should be leading story, front-page news, on every network and in every newspaper. The only business paradigm that could ever match the evil of the current for-profit health insurance system was the institution of slavery, which was abolished 140 years ago.

The AMA and all physicians need to support legislation putting an end to this abomination once and for all. The American people would welcome and recognize the AMA and all doctors as their champion. Right now we're all sellouts with our heads in the sand too worried about our own problems, myself included.

Neil E. Staib Jr., MD, Seymour, Ind.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/06/09/edlt0609.htm.

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