United Health to insure the right to insurance (OMG, can you believe this?)

[antigop]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/business/03insure.html?em

For these economically uncertain times, the UnitedHealth Group has a “first of its kind” product: the right to buy an individual health policy at some point in the future even if you become sick.

Called UnitedHealth Continuity, the product is not actual medical insurance, but is aimed at people who may have insurance now but are worried they may lose it — and may not be able to obtain replacement insurance on their own. They may expect to retire early, for example, before they qualify for Medicare. Or they are worried about the possibility of losing their job and their health coverage.

People who are already sick will generally not be eligible for the new product. Those who do pass a medical review, will pay 20 percent each month of the current premium on an individual policy to reserve the right to be insured under the plan at some point in the future.

“What this product is designed to do, for a very modest premium, is to essentially protect your insurability for the future,” said Richard A. Collins, the president of UnitedHealth’s individual insurance unit, who says he is the first policy holder. His monthly fee is $50.

[dflprincess]

1. Just when you think they couldn't come up with another way to pick your pocket

UHG has found a way to collect a premium and not run the risk of having to pay a claim.

And there are those that want to keep crooks like this involved in our healthcare system. :banghead:

[antigop]

3. at first I thought this was a joke--like something from The Onion

Then I noticed it was from the NY Times.

[DoctorMyEyes]

7. Me too

My first thought was "Oh, it's the Onion."

Unfreakinbelievable...

[annabanana]

2. They may have a finger in the wind.. and have seen

that they might have to grab fast to get a few more bucks before their walls come crashing down in a National Health Care Plan. .

[Cleita]

11. I hope nobody falls for this. n/t

[tosh]

4. Un-eff-ing-believable!

Greedy little #@$^. UH is the worst among them.

[dflprincess]

14. They will - as much as I'd hate it I might consider it

If I were in a situation where I was unemployed and couldn't afford the COBRA I might cough up the $50.00 a month to maintain "insurability".

Actually, I was in that situation a few years ago and went without health insurance for 8 months; I really couldn't even afford a major medical policy at the time. (Ironically, I'd been "downsized" by UHG.)

This just typical of them - to take advantage of people when they're down. Even other insurers refer to them as the "evil empire".

[tabbycat31]

5. their CEO already made 1.7 billion

does Mr Piggy need any more?

[rateyes]

6. Congress, pass universal single-payer health care now, and

we won't have to worry about these damned scam artists.

[gollygee]

8. How much do you want to bet

that people will do this, and then they will have a need for it, and for some loophole reason it won't be available even though they paid $50 a month for ages. Just like all other insurance issues. It's all a racketeering scheme.

[crim son]

9. I'm curious how this works.

If a company drops you, it drops you, doesn't it? What can this organization do about it? Negotiate and pay huge penalty premiums? Hmmmm.

Universal healthcare. We need it NOW.

[Cleita]

10. Good luck with that.

I know what will protect my insurability and that is passing HR 676. UHG won't be needed anymore.

[antigop]

12. Absolutely! n/t

[sixmile]

13. Enough of the corporate protection racket!

The Mafia looks in awe at these crooks.