Story behind KO's "Worst Person in The World" tonight: another Walmart atrocity - pix and video

[Bozita]

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/03/25/walmart.insurance.battle/index.html

By Randi Kaye
CNN

JACKSON, Missouri (CNN) -- Debbie Shank breaks down in tears every time she's told that her 18-year-old son, Jeremy, was killed in Iraq.

The 52-year-old mother of three attended her son's funeral, but she continues to ask how he's doing. When her family reminds her that he's dead, she weeps as if hearing the news for the first time.

Shank suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident nearly eight years ago that robbed her of much of her short-term memory and left her in a wheelchair and living in a nursing home.

It was the beginning of a series of battles -- both personal and legal -- that loomed for Shank and her family. One of their biggest was with Wal-Mart's health plan.

more...

[Berry Cool]

1. Thanks for the pointer.

How awful this story is. Keith was furious, too--this was like a mini-Special Comment.

[Gato Moteado]

6. glad to see a positive thread about keith

i've had it up to here with DUers busting on keith because he doesn't kiss their candidate's ass.

keith is the best thing going in the msm. period!

[babylonsister]

2. You could cut KO's contempt with a knife. Thanks for this; I hope

to see the youtube soon, too. It was a mini special comment, but he was right on.

[Cheap_Trick]

3. glad to see hilarity did so much for Wal Mart employees

and their health care while she was on the board of directors :sarcasm:

[Mudoria]

21. The Obamanauts show up everywhere..

[Cheap_Trick]

28. so do the hillbillies

your point (other than the one on top of your head)?

[melody]

4. Keith was livid about this as any thinking person should be -- this is repulsive

If anything underscores the sociopathy rampant in big business, it's this story.

[GigiMommy]

5. There should be a law (a Federal one)

proposed, passed and enacted that will prevent corporations from doing this to ANYONE. How sad. How tragic.

[lonestarnot]

19. You've got to be kidding me.

SCOTUS is reempting consumer rights faster than Congress can enact them. Unitary Executive and the presiding puke had the discussion before the appointment.

[Saphire]

7. My dad had a brain tumor that destroyed his short term memory too, He kept

asking us what was wrong with him. We had to tell over and over again that he had a tumor and there was no surgery possible. My heart goes out to her family. Love ya, Keith.

[Bozita]

9. And every time you told him, it was the first time ... for him.

So sad. So difficult.

[blonndee]

14. Oh, I am so sorry.

Hugs to you and your family. I'm so sorry you and he had to go through that pain.

[Snarkoleptic]

8. Wal-mart=soul sucking creeps

[Jensen]

10. One more reason to keep shopping at Wal-Mart....NOT!

[chemenger]

17. The wife and I heard this on Olberman last night

Wife said we will never set foot in a WalMart again. Soulless bastards.

[Ilsa]

11. One of the heartbreaks of this story is that she has short term memory loss.

Every time she hears that her son is dead, it is like the first time. She goes through gut-wrenching grief every day.

I won't go into WalMart for anything, if I can possibly avoid it.

[Bunny]

16. It really is sad, but I wonder why the family doesn't just tell her that her son is doing fine.

Why must she be put through this agony every day? :shrug:

[better tomorrow]

12. The story that Keith did really shocked me and made me

want to boycott Walmart even more than I already do. The gall of them.......

[Bozita]

13. Anderson Cooper covered this story tonight too.

The law school prof was even shaking his head.

[orleans]

15. i remember this story from last year or last summer

i kept wondering why it's in the news again (not that it doesn't deserve to be...but was anyone on cnn or msnbc talking about it when we were?)

then i notice this in a piece of the story:
"Refusing to give up the fight, the Shanks appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But just last week, the high court said it would not hear the case. "

well, what a surprise. thank you republikas! another instance of justice in america down the toilet.

[Mad_Dem_X]

18. Absolutely disgraceful

This poor family has been through so much. Wal-Mart is evil, plain and simple!

[madmom]

20. Honest question.. is this Wal-mart or is it the insurance co. doing this?

[RB TexLa]

22. All insurance companies or plans do this. If someone is found to be at fault and ordered to pay

for medical costs, they have to pay for medical costs. Those costs are no longer the responsibility of the plaintiff or the their insurer. There are law firms that contract with insurance companies that go through insurers claims looking for things that might be a matter for litigation. It happens all the time. A very common one is someone in injured on a friend or relatives property, and although there is clear negligence they do not sue. The insurance company will sue to recoup money that they paid out. They will not sue for punitive damages or for your lost income, only for what is the responsibility of the negligent party in regards to medical costs.


Wal-Mart might be self insured but would still have an insurance company as an administrator of the plan.

[madmom]

23. My point exactly, why go after Wal-mart why not go after AFLAC, their

insurance provider?

[RB TexLa]

24. AFLAC does not provide health insurance. They provide supplemental health

Supplemental payments are made without regards to any other payments. By contract AFLAC or anyone else providing supplemental coverage is not involved in recouping money from an at fault party. Only time that comes up with them is with states trying to recoup payments from a supplemental policy from an individual if the person is on medicaid.

[madmom]

25. My point is Wal-mart is not doing this the insurance company is, my SO

had the same thing happen 20 years ago, he had a motorcycle accident, Blue Cross Blue shield bled us dry, because we sued the guy that hit him.

[RB TexLa]

26. Right, but it's not AFLAC, just saying no reason to mention someone when it's not them.

I'd bet Wal-Mart has different major medical carriers in different locations, if they are not self insured.

[bullwinkle428]

27. The "health insurance" my employer provides me with is not

actually through a dedicated insurance company - the money is essentially coming straight out of the company coffers. They do use a "third-pary adminstrator" to handle all of the paperwork that gets exchanged between the employer, employee, and health care provider. My employer is somewhere around a $1 billion a year company sales-wise, so we're a drop in the bucket compared to a Wal-Mart! I'm guessing that Wal-Mart is the actual payer for services rendered...

[Supersedeas]

29. the attorneys representing Walmart can be so proud--they need to be named