re: UNH's UnitedHealth CEO shot and killed

Another CEO who needs to beef up his security detail.

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CHICAGO – In an unprecedented move, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans representing Connecticut, New York and Missouri have unilaterally declared it will no longer pay for anesthesia care if the surgery or procedure goes beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure takes. The American Society of Anesthesiologists calls on Anthem to reverse this proposal immediately.

Anesthesiologists provide individualized care to every patient, carefully assessing the patient’s health prior to the surgery, looking at existing diseases and medical conditions to determine the resources and medical expertise needed, attending to the patient during the entire procedure, resolving unexpected complications that may arise and/or extend the duration of the surgery, and working to ensure that the patient is comfortable during recovery.

Payment for anesthesia services is based on several factors, including the exact amount of time for anesthesiologists to deliver care preoperatively, during the operation, and when transitioning the patient to the recovery unit afterwards. With this new policy, Anthem will arbitrarily pre-determine the time allowed for anesthesia care during a surgery or procedure. If an anesthesiologist submits a bill where the actual time of care is longer than Anthem's limit, Anthem will deny payment for the anesthesiologist’s care. With this new policy, Anthem will not pay anesthesiologists for delivering safe and effective anesthesia care to patients who may need extra attention because their surgery is difficult, unusual or because a complication arises.

“This is just the latest in a long line of appalling behavior by commercial health insurers looking to drive their profits up at the expense of patients and physicians providing essential care,” said Donald E. Arnold, M.D., FACHE, FASA. “It’s a cynical money grab by Anthem, designed to take advantage of the commitment anesthesiologists make thousands of times each day to provide their patients with expert, complete and safe anesthesia care. This egregious policy breaks the trust between Anthem and its policyholders who expect their health insurer to pay physicians for the entirety of the care they need.”

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LINK

Jake, you sure do love to colour inside the lines

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Mate you sure do love to colour inside the lines

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I'd just like the truth. A critical thinker reads what's posted and wonders about the other side of the story.

You love to be lead to outrage without bothering to question your shepherd.

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Jake, you sure do love to colour inside the lines

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Wait, what happened to "mate?" Are we too at odds now?

Yes, but my problem is with idiots in this thread like dawgfan acting like this is purely an American thing. It isn’t.

A simple google search will show you stories of people from overseas flying to America to access certain treatments or experimental drugs because their govt won’t pay for it.

Why is is ok for a European citizen to pay a ton in taxes and then not have access to lifesaving drugs, but evil for an American insurance company to likewise restrict access?

They are either both evil or neither are evil

Dawgfan is ignoring the former

That's not "arbitrary."

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he was also under investigation by the DOJ for insider trading and antitrust violations.

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The insider trading thing isn't great because he sold stock before a public release of the antitrust stuff, but he likely did nothing illegal, just unethical.

And every big corporation and their executives these days are being sued and/or under investigation by Lina Khan for antitrust violations.

I also doubt whoever lost money on their stock would do this. This is something else IMO.

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Dude may be on the way/somewhere in Asia or South America by now.

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I think they get this guy within 48 hours, maybe 24.

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There’s a reason why American healthcare never places in the top 10

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Because we have, by far, the most unhealthy population in the Western world. We're, as a whole, fricking disgusting.

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An undeniably unfortunate aspect of our health care system is that insurance company executives and employees are put in a position where they have to make choices between behaving morally and creating profit and value for shareholders. Naturally, the folks that rise to the top of these entities are going to tend amoral, at best.

They don’t deserve to get killed for it, but these kinds of events aren’t surprising

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I think the deserves part depends on the circumstances. White collar crime (or even legal but unethical behavior) does cause morbidity and mortality measured across the affected population.

How you feel about the morality of responding to that reality with violence probably depends on how directly or personally affected you are by the criminal or unethical actors.

In an abstract sense it could be morally justified. On a legal basis you still have to convict a shooter of murder IMO