Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Insurance working properly, Wellmark-style

They say that "the exception proves the rule," and I think that FoIB Allison Bell has found the exemplar:

"Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa says it spent $18 million on medical bills for just one patient in 2015."

And that's just from July forward. The patient suffers from a ""severe genetic disorder," and is racking up about $1 million a month in claims. In fact, this one insured accounts for some 10% of the almost 43% rate hike Wellmark's seeking for 2017. As this is a fully compliant ObamaPlan, there's no end in sight, since there's no cap (aka "lifetime maximum").

So why do I call this "insurance working properly?"

Well, because insurance should be about spreading the risk (and the pain). And this certainly qualifies: no average person could afford this kind of health care spending on his own. And since it's a genetic disorder, I don't feel any moral qualms as I would for someone with a lifestyle-related condition. This is simply the hand that this person was dealt.

And yes, it's a lot of money, and money means resources, being spent on one person. My faith requires me to "choose life," and that's the over-arching sentiment here. It's not for birth control convenience items or routine expenses, it's for a catastrophic claim, what health insurance should be about.

May this poor soul find a path to healing.
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