What if people collectively stopped paying insurance?

[Skidmore]

We know that these companies will never willingly forgo profit for decency and fairness. We also know that insurance is a ponzi scheme. What if people just stopped paying it in an act of civil disobedience. Some drastic action needs to occur to force a change in health care policy. Hitting the insurance companies is a good way to get serious attention.

[TZ]

1. Problem

I have health problems I NEED my insurance and can't afford to go without it period. Could be a life or death issue if I don't get checked up on a regular basis....and having been uninsured briefly earlier this year, I DO NOT want to go through that mess again

[Skidmore]

7. I'm in the same boat.

However, I don't see fairness built into this system and it is only getting harder and worse. The pricing of services is based on insurance, a service industry that has been allowed to participate in banking and profit taking. This dance will continue unless some how it can be interrupted long enough to construct something new.

[Deja Q]

2. The way people drive, are you kidding?

Though you raise an interesting point, it would also wreck the entire economy.

Plus, how do you convince everybody to do just that?

[Skidmore]

3. Perhaps the economy needs to be wrecked so we can begin anew.

You can only use crepe paper and nutty putty so long to hold some thing together.

[cherokeeprogressive]

21. Wreck the economy, fuck a WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE. Is that your way of fixing something you think is

broken?

I'm glad you don't hold elective office.

[Skidmore]

25. Whole bunches of people are being "fucked" right now.

If you aren't in the bunch that is being "fucked", I guess the system isn't broken enough for your satisfaction. The system needs to be torn down and one built on an entirely new foundation.

[EFerrari]

4. Looks like the number of people who can't afford it is going up

according to this OP:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1752082

This health system is collapsing on itself. I can't figure out how anyone believes it's sustainable, even for the people who can afford insurance.

[spanone]

5. you mean stop paying the mob protection money....the feds would step in and force us to pay.

actually insurance with your car is MANDATORY. that's job security for the ins. cos.

[ThomWV]

6. I Want You to Understand A Basic Fact

There is nothing wrong with insurance, in fact it is a very good thing for people to share risk. The problem is with Insurance Companies, not insurance itself.

[Skidmore]

9. They don't spread the risk so much any more...

they stack the deck. The Enroning of health care.

[lonestarnot]

15. ThomWV.

I think everyone gets that. :toast:

[glowing]

8. Problem is that everyone is so damned scarred to not have their

little insurance policy. If everyone collectively dropped their healthcare ins. The insurance co. would be out of work... Do you really think that Dr.s, Nurses, Pharmacists are going to go too long before screaming at the Govt that they are about to lose their homes... The US govt would be forced within the first week to adopt measures... They would have the Dr.s continue treating and would be pay for service retroactively. Also, there is the hypocratic oath... If you must seek treatment, go to the ER they cannot turn you away... Like I said, one week and the govt would have to step in and offer an univeral medicare system...

Its what must be done to make sure the rest of America will have access to healthcare. Remember what you have today, may be gone tomorrow, and then you are the only one left saying this isn't fair... but the other's you refused to fight for are already gone...

edit: Excuse the horrible grammar and the spelling mistakes.. it must be early.

[Sadie4629]

14. Uh, no

The docs, nurses, pharmacists, etc. would not be screaming at the government; they would be suing patients. If they provide the service, it is the patient who needs to pay the bill, whether personally or through their insurance.

BTW, how do you think you could get enough people to agree to do this to even make a dent in the insurance companies' profits?

[glowing]

30. You won't.... that's why it will never happen and more and more people

will lose insurance and/ or be covered by policies that are absolute shit. When the care is needed, they will be denied.

If everyone dropped their insurance at the same time on the same day... Guess what? No more isurance co's. Convincing people to do this is hard. People depend on their insurance for healthcare. If you are sick, it may mean your life.. but the way the system is going anyway, it'll be your life sooner or later.

[lynne]

10. I don't see this act of "civil disobedience" as hurting the insurance companies.

No way to stop all health insurance payments as a huge portion are paid by employers as employee benefits.

Quit paying individual health insurance premiums and you'll just be uninsured. The companies will benefit by not paying out on any of your losses. They'll probably invest your past premium payments.

Quit paying auto insurance and - depending upon laws in your state - you are subject to losing your drivers license. If your car is financed, your finance company will force-place physical damage coverage on your auto that you will be required to reimburse them for before your loan is paid off and the title returned to you.

Quit paying your home/property insurance and your mortgage company will force-place coverage on the property to protect their interest only. Again, you will be required to reimburse them for that expense before the deed is paid off.

[liberal N proud]

11. The laws have been written to protect the insurance companies

You can not drive without insurance
You can not get a loan for a car or house without insurance
You can not get your car licensed initially in most states without insurance

[Telly Savalas]

20. So it would be preferable if the jackasses who drive while

talking on their cell phones and never use their turn signal would go without insurance so that when they hit you they won't have the capacity to pay the $5000 in damages they caused?

[lynne]

23. While the insurance companies do benefit from the laws -

- Auto insurance protects you and I from Bodily Injury and Property Damage at the hand of another driver.
- Auto and Home insurance protects the financial interest of your auto finance company and home mortgage company.

The insurance industry isn't the only one who benefits from the laws. Consumers and financial institutions do, too.

[JayBob]

12. Think of your Families Health

Without insurance you are at an extreme disadvantage. If you need a heart transplant your insurance that you've been paying your whole life will put you at a better chance of getting that heart than the next guy. I don't want to wait in a line with everyone else. Call me crazy but I work for what I have.

[Cassandra]

16. If you need a heart transplant...

you won't have that insurance policy for long.
In any case, you would already be waiting in line with everyone else who needs a heart transplant; what makes you the most deserving?

[Double T]

13. We need to make certain the congress supports and acts.........

on behalf of the will of 'the people'. Time for 'the people' to STOP being 'nice'.

[lonestarnot]

17. Like asking to quit paying taxes.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. What If Someone Drives Without Auto Insurance

What if someone drives without auto insurance, runs over and kills Mr. Smith who is legally crossing the street and has a wife and four kids he's providing for ?

Who's going to provide for the folks he leaves behind?

Carrying some forms of insurance shows concern for the welfare of others...If I hurt someone through my actions I want to make them whole or as close to whole before I hurt them. I don't see how I can do that without insurance...

[Skidmore]

19. What did we do as a nation before insurance became big business?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

22. There Was Little Or No Recourse For The Victims Of The Neglect Of Others

If you're driving without automobile insurance and seriously hurt or kill somebody you have no way of making the folks he or she left behind whole...

I suspect, before folks had insurance, many innocent victims of the negligence of others were left to be wards of the state or dependent on charity...

If you want to drive without insurance and not cover yourself that is your right but you should be compelled by law to have insurance for the damage you might presumably do to others...

[Skidmore]

24. That is not true. People filed torts before there was insurance.

Insurance just made big pockets available to collect from sometimes.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

27. Right

That's the whole part of our civil justice system; to make a person whole who was injured by the carelessness or intentional misdeeds of another person....

If somebody is uninsured and they seriously hurt someone they have no way of making that person whole unless they have sufficient assets which is not usually the case...

[BlooInBloo]

26. Then people collectively wouldn't be insured.

[Blue_Tires]

28. i'd rather see people stop paying credit cards

that would be a sight to behold!!!

[murloc]

29. They'd collectively lose health insurance

and many would go broke.

A few insurance companies would go broke to.

I don't think many people are going to line up to shoot themselves in the head in hopes the bullet ricochets into the insurance industry.