LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Miller doesn't have knowledge of insurance abuse

Dear Editor:

Webster defines the world knowledge as understanding gained by actual experience. Delegate Jonathan Miller is maybe too young or for some other reason lucky enough never to have had any knowledge of or dealings with insurance company's abuse.

I fully agree and am amazed that the Governor understands as he does that the current system is severally deficient. Delegate Miller needs to tell everyone where they can pick up an affordable individual plan (in or out of state) if they have a pre-existing condition! How much can people afford in a state that has a per-capita income of $28,000 a year?

Insurance companies like banks and utilities have been let go and have gotten away with their nasty deeds much too long. Insurance companies in West Virginia will not sell to a person with pre-existing conditions or they will include waivers on the pre-existing conditions. They also individual you out if you are unlucky enough to have to use your insurance and raise your premiums until they are unaffordable. They use to have to include everyone in a class of people and could not increase premiums unless they raised everyone in the class which was harder for them to commit this injustice.

Insurance companies also can make you join an association before you can buy a policy, the law says this is legal as long as the association has nothing to do with insurance and these companies send out literature every quarter or so on the subject. The insurance companies then takes your application money to buy politicians and to lobby to keep their way!

Insurance was supposed to be set up on a mutual program; the group of non-user's premiums was to help offset the users and of course make a fair profit. The idea was not to exclude coverage and make all the profit you can called GREED.

And I forgot to mention the notice they are including on policies that takes your constitutional right to a jury trial away by accepting your policy and making arbitration mandatory (adhesion contracts).

I agree with the Governor there looks to be but one way out, that being a government option. But if insurances companies were serious about correcting the current flawed system and keeping government out the major players would set down and write up a basic 80/20 plan. A plan that provided fair coverage with fair deductibles to keep down abuse and offer it as a "people's plan" ne that would work as a mutual plan! This plan would be offered to all as a minimum plan but would include preventive medicine. Insurance could agree to share these policies and the government could subsidize anyone based on income or need. Insurance companies could make their profit on premier plans and services and defer what they are bringing on us and themselves.

Sincerely,
Former Del. Mel Kessler