On the left, everything is violent except violence. We see this often in the context of speech, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez extended the universe of violence to include denial of health insurance coverage:
“This is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them,” the congresswoman told CBS News’ Jaala Brown on Thursday.
Ocasio-Cortez is an unusually dull-witted person, but even she should understand that shooting someone in the back is violent. Turning down an insurance claim might be correct or incorrect under the terms of the policy–in all probability it is correct–but in any case, it is not violent.
An insurance policy is a contract. Under any insurance policy some things are covered, and other things are not. Insurance companies, not just health insurance companies, turn down claims when the claim does not fall within the coverage of the policy. If the policy holder thinks the insurance company is wrong, he has legal recourse. And insurance is a heavily regulated industry in every state.
Insurance companies are happy to write broader policies with more coverage. They just cost more. In principle, an insurance company might be happy to write a policy that covers everything. You send us a bill, we’ll pay it! No questions asked! Anything and everything is covered! But no one would ever buy such a policy because it would be prohibitively expensive.
Democrats are currently using Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson to demagogue health insurance companies. This is likely intended to bully those companies into paying claims they don’t owe, which will simply drive up premium costs. And no doubt the Democrats are trying to advance their long-held goal of implementing socialized medicine, along the lines of Britain’s National Health Service.
A friend points out another fallacy in the way in which liberals talk about health insurance:
RE: the Brian Thompson murder. The focus on the insurance industry in the provision of medical care is misplaced if you believe that everyone has a right to whatever health care they think they need. Strictly speaking, insurers do not deny care; they deny paying for it. So really it is the providers that deny care unless they are paid what they think they’re owed. So shouldn’t the left vigilantes against the health care system be murdering doctors and hospital administrators? They are the ones actually denying the care after all; insurers are just intermediaries.
If you have a right to medical care then the doctors, et al. have a duty to provide it, don’t they?
Hey! How about just, oh, nationalizing the entire healthcare system! Then it will be just, comrade.
It will also provide terrible health care, with very limited coverage. Just ask the Brits who buy private insurance whenever they can afford it.
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