What You Don't Know About Your Health Insurance May Hurt You: An Interview with "Hitman" Lee Einer of the Film Sicko
Sunday August 5, 2007
If you've seen Michael Moore's film Sicko, you may remember the insurance company “hitman,” Lee Einer. In the film, Lee describes how his job was to help his employer -- a health insurance company -- deny coverage to insured customers. You may remember Lee’s memorable (and most-quoted) line in Sicko: “You’re not slipping through the cracks. Somebody made that crack and swept you towards it. And the intent is to maximize profits.”Honest Medicine's Julia Schopick has done a terrific podcast interview with Lee, and it's eye-opening. Find out some of the tactics health insurance companies use to deny payments, and keep your money in their pockets in this exclusive interview. (Text link / Podcast/MP3 Link)
Photo: Lee Einer
Comments
Excellent interview and information!
The insurance company in my case would stop at nothing, including sending a State fraud investigator to my house to accuse me of fraud, use scare tactics, threats,… so I would drop out of a legal matter. I had to hire a criminal attorney to defend myself! It’s unconscionable what goes on. I’ve suffered greatly and attorney took payoff. (long story) Thanks for exposing the real facts.
I haven’t seen the movie because I think Michael Moore is a sicko. But, I do have to say, I believe that insurance companies aren’t out for the patient. They are, of course, out for money. I need an expensive medication added to my daily regime, guess what? I won’t get approved because the insurance company doesn’t want to pay $6000 to $12000 a year for me to have it. It’s a necessity too. Now? I have to fight for it. Nice. There is no regulation with insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, or doctors. They are all in it for money whether they care about the human being or not. That’s sicko. They all need to be regulated not have a national healthcare system where you have to wait for months to get treatment and have the possibility of getting denied once you finally make that appt. Then you have to start all over again. That’s not the answer.