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Democratic investigators target health insurers

Renae

Renae

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House Democrats are probing the nation’s largest insurance companies for lavish spending, demanding reams of compensation data and schedules of retreats and conferences.

Letters sent to 52 insurance companies by Democratic leaders demand extensive documents for an examination of ‘extensive compensation and other business practices in the health insurance industry.” The letters set a deadline of Sept. 14 for the documents.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, signed the three-page letter dated Monday.

An industry source replied when asked for comment: “This is nothing more than a taxpayer-funded fishing expedition designed to silence health plans."

By Sept. 4, the firms are supposed to supply detailed compensation data for board members and top executives, as well as a “table listing all conferences, retreats, or other events held outside company facilities from January 1, 2007, to the present that were paid for, reimbursed, or subsidized in whole or in part by your company.”

For employees or officers making $500,000 or more, the committee wants information on salary, bonus, options and pension.


Read more: Democratic investigators target health insurers - Carrie Budoff Brown and Mike Allen - POLITICO.com
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What ****ing business is it of Congress to care what private companies do with their own money?

This is such utter abuse of power, and total bull****.

Is this this USA or the USSR? FOR ****S SAKE PEOPLE.
 
MrVicchio said:
What ****ing business is it of Congress to care what private companies do with their own money?

This is such utter abuse of power, and total bull****.

Is this this USA or the USSR? FOR ****S SAKE PEOPLE.
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I suspect it has something to do with insurance companies denying coverage to patients while offering their staff golden parachutes and bonus'.

.......but I could be wrong.
 
missypea said:
I suspect it has something to do with insurance companies denying coverage to patients while offering their staff golden parachutes and bonus'.

.......but I could be wrong.
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You can't really believe that can you?

Seriously?

You know EXACTLY what this is about, it's about the Dem's wanting to use the power of the Government to brow beat the insurance companies and dig up any thing they can to use as "SEE this is why GOVERNMENT SHOULD be in charge!!!"


And don't give me that "They deny coverage" BS, if you believed that was a problem, you'd be all against Government run healthcare, your dishonesty is appalling.
 
MrVicchio said:
You can't really believe that can you?

Seriously?

You know EXACTLY what this is about, it's about the Dem's wanting to use the power of the Government to brow beat the insurance companies and dig up any thing they can to use as "SEE this is why GOVERNMENT SHOULD be in charge!!!"


And don't give me that "They deny coverage" BS, if you believed that was a problem, you'd be all against Government run healthcare, your dishonesty is appalling.
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They do try to find ways to deny coverage in an effort to save money. It's nothing new. Many insurance companies have highly questionable business practices and it definitely warrants an investigation. However, I agree with you that the thought of Government run healthcare is a terrifying prospect considering that they will probably get away with bloody murder in the ways of denying people coverage. Who would investigate them?
 
MrVicchio said:
What ****ing business is it of Congress to care what private companies do with their own money?

This is such utter abuse of power, and total bull****.

Is this this USA or the USSR? FOR ****S SAKE PEOPLE.
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USA, thankfully.

Congress has the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the states, and with the Native American tribes.
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[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce_Clause]Commerce Clause - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]


:usflag2::2usflag::ind:
 
MrVicchio said:
You can't really believe that can you?

Seriously?

You know EXACTLY what this is about, it's about the Dem's wanting to use the power of the Government to brow beat the insurance companies and dig up any thing they can to use as "SEE this is why GOVERNMENT SHOULD be in charge!!!"


And don't give me that "They deny coverage" BS, if you believed that was a problem, you'd be all against Government run healthcare, your dishonesty is appalling.
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OK, cut all your turbo-emotional drivel aside and what did you actually say, in all this?

A big fat nothing.

Now, can we take this from the top again, and this time with a little less PMS?

Good. Now, I don't think that the government should be investigating salaries, etc. However, they should be regularly auditing claims and looking into legitimate complaints where the claims are concerned. The insurance industry does need a little oversight.
 
jallman said:
OK, cut all your turbo-emotional drivel aside and what did you actually say, in all this?

A big fat nothing.

Now, can we take this from the top again, and this time with a little less PMS?

Good. Now, I don't think that the government should be investigating salaries, etc. However, they should be regularly auditing claims and looking into legitimate complaints where the claims are concerned. The insurance industry does need a little oversight.
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I said plenty, but it wasn't in, calm enough repose for you.. I'm EVER so sorry Jallman... really.

Congress, is abusing it's powers, and the best you can do is get high and mighty at me for being "emotional"?
:doh

Congress has had years to do this, now that the Dem's want to rebuild healthcare, suddenly the PAY of employees is worthy of congressional investigation?

Only a fool falls for that.
 
MrVicchio said:
I said plenty, but it wasn't in, calm enough repose for you.. I'm EVER so sorry Jallman... really.

Congress, is abusing it's powers, and the best you can do is get high and mighty at me for being "emotional"?
:doh

Congress has had years to do this, now that the Dem's want to rebuild healthcare, suddenly the PAY of employees is worthy of congressional investigation?

Only a fool falls for that.
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Personally, I could care less what their reasons are for investigating whether it be for strictly partisan purposes or otherwise. I think it will be interesting to see what they find. It's only too bad that this didn't happen a long time ago.
 
MrVicchio said:
I said plenty, but it wasn't in, calm enough repose for you.. I'm EVER so sorry Jallman... really.

Congress, is abusing it's powers, and the best you can do is get high and mighty at me for being "emotional"?
:doh
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Obviously, you failed to read on further after you got butt-hurt that I called you out for setting a thuggish tone within 3 posts. Nothing Missy said warranted you going aggro on her like you did.

Congress has had years to do this, now that the Dem's want to rebuild healthcare, suddenly the PAY of employees is worthy of congressional investigation?

Only a fool falls for that.
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Again, try reading what I actually said. I agree with you that the pay should be off limits, but I think part of the healthcare overhaul should be oversight concerning insurance claims practices.
 
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All the insurance companies have to do is tell Congress they will send the report as soon as their lawyers get the subpoena… from a US. Superior Court.
 
I don't think they should be looking into salaries, but the insurance industry definitely could use a little more oversight (rather than just more regulations).

Just yesterday I had to contact our home owners insurance company because of how much our premiums were this year when I got my escrow letter. You would think our Cape Cod was the Biltmore for what they were charging us.

At any rate, I called them up and went over the fees with them and they had us - without any approval to the changes on our part - signed up for coverage on crap like Volcano coverage. We live in the KC area, not exactly an area known for any volcano activity in the last 2 billion years or so. They had also added coverage for an additional bathroom in the house - that we did not have. They had also added premium jewelry coverage that is above and beyond what is on a normal policy or on the original policy. Great feature, except I own no jewelry at all and my wife only owns her wedding and engagement ring. I can go on and on, but the fact is they were screwing us and I ended up cutting our rate nearly in half by just getting the coverage levels we originally signed up for.
 
missypea said:
I suspect it has something to do with insurance companies denying coverage to patients while offering their staff golden parachutes and bonus'.

.......but I could be wrong.
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BS!

It's all about changing the subject. The first try is failing so they, Bobo And Crew, want to change the point of view. They don't want to discuss the merits (there are none) of their "ill". Now they want an emotional debate over a human being's "right" to health care.
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
I don't think they should be looking into salaries, but the insurance industry definitely could use a little more oversight (rather than just more regulations).

Just yesterday I had to contact our home owners insurance company because of how much our premiums were this year when I got my escrow letter. You would think our Cape Cod was the Biltmore for what they were charging us.

At any rate, I called them up and went over the fees with them and they had us - without any approval to the changes on our part - signed up for coverage on crap like Volcano coverage. We live in the KC area, not exactly an area known for any volcano activity in the last 2 billion years or so. They had also added coverage for an additional bathroom in the house - that we did not have. They had also added premium jewelry coverage that is above and beyond what is on a normal policy or on the original policy. Great feature, except I own no jewelry at all and my wife only owns her wedding and engagement ring. I can go on and on, but the fact is they were screwing us and I ended up cutting our rate nearly in half by just getting the coverage levels we originally signed up for.
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Must be the time of year for it. The same thing happened to me last month. My payment went up and I called and found out that they had tacked on flood insurance. I asked why and they told me because I lived in a flood zone. I asked them to take another look at their map and they did.

Nope, no flood zone. Not even close to a flood zone. You'd think that type of practice would be illegal. How do they continue to get away with it?
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
I don't think they should be looking into salaries, but the insurance industry definitely could use a little more oversight (rather than just more regulations).

Just yesterday I had to contact our home owners insurance company because of how much our premiums were this year when I got my escrow letter. You would think our Cape Cod was the Biltmore for what they were charging us.

At any rate, I called them up and went over the fees with them and they had us - without any approval to the changes on our part - signed up for coverage on crap like Volcano coverage. We live in the KC area, not exactly an area known for any volcano activity in the last 2 billion years or so. They had also added coverage for an additional bathroom in the house - that we did not have. They had also added premium jewelry coverage that is above and beyond what is on a normal policy or on the original policy. Great feature, except I own no jewelry at all and my wife only owns her wedding and engagement ring. I can go on and on, but the fact is they were screwing us and I ended up cutting our rate nearly in half by just getting the coverage levels we originally signed up for.
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See it worked.

Now think what the answer would be if the government was charging you for your health care. Maybe laughter and a "**** you"! Then a "just pay your bill or we will take your home and savings".
 
a777pilot said:
See it worked.

Now think what the answer would be if the government was charging you for your health care. Maybe laughter and a "**** you"! JThen a "just pay your bill or we will take your home and savings".
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Well being that there are no bills in congress to nationalize the health care system or even have a single payer insurance system, I am not sure what your point is.
 
missypea said:
Must be the time of year for it. The same thing happened to me last month. My payment went up and I called and found out that they had tacked on flood insurance. I asked why and they told me because I lived in a flood zone. I asked them to take another look at their map and they did.

Nope, no flood zone. Not even close to a flood zone. You'd think that type of practice would be illegal. How do they continue to get away with it?
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They did NOT get away with it. You did your do diligence and caught the "errors". You will not have that option with the Federal government.
 
jallman said:
Obviously, you failed to read on further after you got butt-hurt that I called you out for setting a thuggish tone within 3 posts. Nothing Missy said warranted you going aggro on her like you did.

Again, try reading what I actually said. I agree with you that the pay should be off limits, but I think part of the healthcare overhaul should be oversight concerning insurance claims practices.
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I couldn't agree more.
 
a777pilot said:
They did NOT get away with it. You did your do diligence and caught the "errors". You will not have that option with the Federal government.
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I don't think you understand what is being proposed.
 
missypea said:
I couldn't agree more.
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The you are both wrong.

If you want to regulate an industry that effects the health care the most why aren't you both screaming to regulate the Trail Lawyers and the Medical profession?

Tort reform and oversight of doctors, nurses and hospitals should be the first places to start to reform the health care industry. Not the insurance companies and especially turning over everything to the federal government.
 
missypea said:
I don't think you understand what is being proposed.
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Do you mean a complete violation of the limits to the Congress’s power? Can anyone show me where they have the right to demand this kind of information from any company?
 
missypea said:
I suspect it has something to do with insurance companies denying coverage to patients while offering their staff golden parachutes and bonus'.

.......but I could be wrong.
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Unless there's a law being violated or a contract being breached....so what?
 
Crunch said:
Do you mean a complete violation of the limits to the Congress’s power? Can anyone show me where they have the right to demand this kind of information from any company?
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Let's go one step further.

Can anyone show me where health care is any business of the Federal government? Where it is even Constitutional?

Kill this bill!

Kill it NOW!
 
a777pilot said:
The problem for you and the Bobo Administration is....I do understand. So are tens of millions of other tax paying voters, too!
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When you adopt an insulting tone, and throw out insults, you lose any chance of being taken seriously.
 
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