Five reasons “for profit” health insurance is Un-Christian

As a proponent of free enterprise, regulated capitalism, I am against it for health insurance.  It simply doesn’t work for health insurance.

Heath insurance is insurance, it collects premiums and pays claims.  This is its only function.   It doesn’t treat patients, and it doesn’t hire doctors or nurses.  It doesn’t run hospitals.

But “for profit” means making money from the sick, suffering and dying.  This is against the teachings of Jesus.

In some of the 38 western democracies (France & Switzerland) with universal healthcare private for profit companies provide some of the insurance coverage.  But they are regulated and the amount of profit they can make is limited and the amount of money they can pay to their executive and stockholder is also limited.

Making a profit off the sick, suffering and dying is Un-Christian; The figures for the “for profit” health insurance companies are clear; the top 10 health insurance companies made over $300 billion in profits.

Paying CEOs and other executive’s obscene compensation is Un-Christian: The CEO of an insurance company does very little for his pay.  Yet they are paid huge compensation packages.  A few are listed below.

Ins. Co. & CEO With 2008 Total CEO Compensation

• Aetna, Ronald A. Williams: $24,300,112
• Cigna, H. Edward Hanway: $12,236,740
• Coventry, Dale Wolf:$9,047,469
• Health Net, Jay Gellert: $4,425,355
• Humana, Michael McCallister: $4,764,309
• U. Health Group, Stephen J. Hemsley: $3,241,042
• Wellpoint, Angela Braly: $9,844,212

Source:  http://www.healthreformwatch.com/2009/05/20/health-insurance-ceos-total-compensation-in-2008/

Ron Williams was paid $2 million per month, $500,000 per week and $125,000 per day.  No CEO is worth this kind of money – period.  See what CEOs do.

Refusing to provide insurance to those who want it and can pay for it because of pre-existing conditions is Un-Christian:  For profit companies have figured out it cost more for people who need medical help and refuse to insure them.  This increases the profits to the rich and greedy.        

Throwing tens of thousands of insured customers off their plan when they file a claim for minor errors on their application to avoid paying lawful claims is Un-Christian; Insurance companies pay bonuses to employees who can find any mistake on an application in order to throw the customer off the plan even after they have paid their insurance premiums for years.  This improves profit and hurts tens of thousands of honest Americans.

Allowing over 8 million American children to go without any medical treatment when sick is Un-Christian; “For profit” insurance companies allow over 8 million children to go without any health insurance.  Over 60 people die each day in America because they can’t get medical treatment for treatable illness; that is over 22,000 per year.  Where are “the right to life” people when we need them on this issue?

America must change the way we provide health insurance.  We must go to a Medicare type of plan for all.  Leave the doctors, hospitals etc to private enterprise but the insurance must be non-profit to be Christian.  It is Un-Christian to have 40 million honest, hard working Americans without any health insurance.

What do you say?  I’m I right?

Please email your elected representative and tell them what you think.

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