Category: Stories

When Networks are “Notworks” – Our Experience with a New Health Ins Policy

“I’m sorry, our billing person is out for a few hours. You’ll have to call back,” said the administrator at the imaging lab. “Thank you for calling _____ Insurance. Our systems are down, please call back again later,” said the recording at the health insurance […]

“US Economy is Finger-Lickin’ Good,” proclaims Health Insurance Industry

Did you realize that healthcare costs have grown to command nearly 18% of the US gross domestic product? Yes! Like a cancer on our economy, healthcare costs are sucking us dry, folks. Aside from our never-ending wars, nothing is robbing our infrastructure and our future […]

Building a better world, state by state: lessons from Canada

When it comes to winning health care for the people, HEAL California believes victory will begin with a state-based system and end with federal legislation. There are countless examples of victories for human rights and personal freedoms that first occurred at the state level before being […]

Planned Parenthood in the Crosshairs – Again!

As a provider of low-cost or no-cost health care to over 2.8 million Americans each year, it is shocking to see Planned Parenthood “in the crosshairs” once again. Most recently, 46 US Senators voted to deny Title X funding to Planned Parenthood. (Title X is […]

California — The Path to Bernie Sanders’ Dream of Medicare for All!

Addressing inequality in healthcare is a cornerstone of Bernie Sanders’ 2015 presidential campaign. He has supported a national Medicare-for-All, single-payer type healthcare system for decades. In a 7/28/15 interview with Ezra Klein (Vox.com), he flatly states “Health care, to my mind, is a right of […]

Smaug’s Hoard

In the first half of 2015, more than 350 mergers & acquisitions (M&As) took place in the healthcare industry. 346 of those occurred in the first quarter alone! Not all prices were publicly disclosed, but as of the end of March, disclosed deals were valued […]

Ouch, Doc! Surprise Medical Bills Sting

A Westchester, CA mom expected to pay about $320 in co-pays and coinsurance when she took her son to a nearby hospital for an ankle injury, because she was very careful to go to a hospital that was in her insurance network. Imagine her surprise […]

Top Government Official Hired by Health Insurance Lobby

Revolving Doors, Regulatory Capture and Healthcare Reform Do you ever wonder how it is that entire industries can act against the public interest but the government agencies established to regulate them go along with it? There are countless examples of this, like BP drilling in […]