TresSugar

Colbert's Solution For the "Pre-existing Condition" Conundrum

TresSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Forget going to your reps on Capitol Hill to remind them that a woman is not a preexisting condition. So what if a toddler who barely has preexistence is denied health insurance because, at a healthy weight of 22 pounds, she's deemed too skinny? Leave the poor health insurance companies aloooone! They just want a return on their investment, after all. As Stephen Colbert says, you wouldn't buy a banana with spots on it, would you? And anyway, he has a solution. Just breed the insurable with the insurable! That way, ~~everyone~~ healthcare providers win!

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Healthy and Unwealthy: 20-Somethings DIY Health Care

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:01:29 -0800

Trading prescriptions. Self-diagnosing on the Internet (guilty!). Skipping doses to make prescriptions last (I've done that with insurance?). Setting broken bones (ack! not guilty). These are just some of the Band-Aids, the 13.2 million young people, ages 19-29, without insurance have applied.

Maybe we need more doctors like this? Dr. Jay Parkinson (MD!) treats uninsured Internet lovers (but not old ones, he only sees people under 40) via IM, email, and in person through house (or coffee house) calls for a $200 fee per visit. Not exactly cheap, but certainly better than the emergency room.

Most insurance companies cut dependents off at 19 or after college graduation, but more than two dozen states have increased the cutoff age to well into the 20s. Where are these magical lands? Get the list here.

The health care industry calls uninsured 20-somethings the "young invincibles," which makes the industry sound like an old irascible. While some certainly see themselves as young, healthy - invincible? - others live uninsured in fear while focusing on their careers, using the little money they earn interning and working odd jobs for rent and food. Though, in fairness, I've been there and threw a credit card set on automatic payment at the problem.

But I never did use that insurance that I still pay for, so I can't blame those who live without it. Are you sympathetic, or should the young invincibles swallow an adult-sized pill and deal with it?

Source

Front Page: Thousands Protest in Thailand, Sudan Hijackers Free Hostages, Decline in Number of Uninsured

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:57:07 -0700

Thousands Protest in Thailand:
Thai police are trying to remove anti-government protesters who have taken over the prime minister's compound. The protesters are vowing to stay on the grounds until the prime minister, now living in self-imposed exile in London after corruption charges, steps down. The protests started yesterday with more than 30,000 people taking to the streets.

Sudan Hijackers Free Hostages:
Hijackers who seized an airplane leaving the Darfur region of Sudan yesterday have freed all 95 passengers, but six crew members remain onboard. Forcing the plane to land in Libya, one of their demands is for asylum rights and refugee status. Negotiations are ongoing to free the remaining crew members.

Decline in Number of Uninsured:
After rising for six years, the number of Americans without health insurance has dropped by more than a million. The Census Bureau reports that 45.7 million are uninsured. The drop is a result of government-sponsored health insurance programs, particularly those aimed at children. The number of people covered by private insurance continued to decline.

Should Insurance Rates Be Raised With Climate Change Risk?

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:00:24 -0700

Insurance companies have incorporated climate change assumptions into their disaster probability calculations, thus withdrawing coverage or charging staggering rates on parts of the US East and Gulf coasts.

According to the Wall Street Journal, there is a scientific consensus about rising sea temperatures, and practically a consensus that the temperature is tied to greater hurricane activity. But, science has not definitively concluded how or if this will impact the US coastal area now facing rising premiums.

Even so, insurers are adjusting their coverage plans in reaction to the horrific 2004 and 2005 hurricane season. The article reports that companies are treating disasters like Katrina and Rita as the norm, not the exception.

Should insurance companies wait for science to make a unanimous connection between climate change and increased risk in these specific regions before they raise the rates?

Source

Democrats Want to Nationalize Hurricane Insurance

LibertySugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:37 -0700

Congressional Democrats, Florida lawmakers, and major insurance companies are teaming up to significantly nationalize hurricane insurance just in time for hurricane season.

Under the plan, taxpayers would finance a backup insurance plan that would aid insurance companies, and thus policyholders, in case of widespread disaster and a shortage of funds.

Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton support the insurance plan, under which all Americans would help Floridians avoid $500 in hurricane premiums each year. This sounds like a savvy appeal to a crucial swing state.

While it's important to make sure the insurance system can operate during a time of crisis, for economic and humanitarian reasons, some worry that the bailout would make it easier for people to build homes and businesses in irresponsible locations.

Should there be a national solution to a regional issue?

Source

Itty-Bitty Insurance Reps

GiggleSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:00:00 -0800

These two are just doing what they do best: ~~selling insurance~~ getting their cute on.

Insurance...Our Greatest Friend or Foe?

GiggleSugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 14:34:56 -0800

My newest conspiracy theory: the insurance company folks have allied with the pharmaceutical folks. Case in point: this commercial. It makes me want to lock my doors and never leave the house again. Yes, drug therapy is in order, and once the meds kick in and my therapist reassures me that it's safe to wander back into the world- I'll need that life insurance, of course. ...Da, da, DA! It's a never ending cycle of interdependency, see?

The Eagle of All Commercials Has Landed (Again)

GiggleSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:00:00 -0800

Remember Eagle Man, the creepy talking bird who laid an egg on some chick's car? He's ba-ack and more explosive than ever. Eagle Insurance amped up the budget for the ad below, but this didn't improve the quality of the commercial- it just made the insanity last even longer. Mustachioed woman? Rocket eggs? Lowbrow unfunny humor? It's all there. Oh, and some insurance quotes, too.

Pimpin' Out The Car Insurance

GiggleSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:40:16 -0700

"Hey baby, get ya some of that Lincoln insurance"...because when it comes to auto insurance, we all want the gold (tooth) standard, right? I think this chump took the "Pimp My Ride" concept a bit too far.

Craving Another Low-Budget Eagle Man Commercial?

GiggleSugar — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:00:00 -0800

Eagle Insurance broke open the piggy bank and made another redonkulous ad for our viewing hilarity. To keep things "fresh," they gave Eagle Man the boot and replaced him with a woman - Eagle Woman. Sex sells and she just has more appeal. You'll see.