Most of us have had crappy jobs and greedy bosses. Think of your crappiest boss and the people he/she was working for. Now imagine they can influence the health care you get for the rest of your life. How do you feel?
Marshall Goldsmith says that for him, it’s not a hypothetical exercise. Here is his letter to the Wall Street Journal came out on December 3:
Lyle Kurtz (Letters, Nov. 27) deserves a response. Dr. Kurtz says insurance companies have a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders. But whether you have insurance or not, there is no one looking out for you.
In 2005, I lost my job and was unable to pay the $1,250-a-month premium for COBRA. Later I discovered that my company charged that much to discourage people from getting the insurance.
I found myself in need of medical attention for an infection. I went to the emergency room, and when I told them I had no insurance and was unemployed, they showed me the door and told me to come back when I could pay. This happened six times while I lived in Michigan. No hospital would see me. They did not care. All they would do is give me a prescription for medication that I am allergic to.
I finally got a job but then had to wait six months because of my pre-existing condition, even though I had never been treated. After 17 months, I finally was able to see a doctor who immediately had me brought over to the emergency room. He said the infection had probably spread due to lack of medical attention. He performed surgery to drain the infected area. Unfortunately because of the length of time, it has caused many other health problems. For this reason, the insurance company has denied all claims that have arisen out of this. They say no hospital would have shoved me out, but that is what happened.
Even though I am employed, I have no health insurance because the company said that all of my health problems resulting from the delay in care are pre-existing and will be denied.
That is the state of health care and the insurance companies’ fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. But what about the customers they are killing?
Marshall Goldsmith
Las Vegas
It makes no sense for employers are the primary sponsors of health care. They’re too inconsistent and too greedy.
