Anthem Arrests Customer For Daring to Question Them

[Rusty5329]

On July 24th, Joe Szakos, the Executive Director of the Virginia Organizing Project (VOP), was arrested at Anthem's headquarters.

"Szakos was charged with trespassing on Anthem’s property in Richmond, VA on July 24, 2009 when he and three VOP board members attempted to meet with Anthem officials. Szakos went to Anthem as a customer to discuss VOP’s concerns about a recent insurance premium increase and the company's lobbying against health care reform. Szakos’s trial is set for September 22, 2009, 11 a.m. at Henrico General District Court in Richmond, Virginia."

And this story only gets better...

"The nonprofit VOP has 36 employees that receive benefits through Anthem. In a news release, the group said that its premium has increased 14.1 percent this year and that it pays more than $25,000 dollars a month.

"We received an e-mail from Anthem recently imploring its customers to call their members of Congress and ask them to oppose the public health insurance option. Not only was this letter ironic given our organization’s support of the public health insurance option, but it was really disturbing because our premiums are going towards paying corporate lobbyists," said Szakos in a statement."

Video of the arrest and more found at http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/11/780570/-Anthem-Arrests-Customer-For-Daring-to-Question-Them

[tabatha]

1. Disgusting.

The money greed in this country is beyond sickening.

[Hannah Bell]

2. anthem = subsidiary of wellpoint.

http://www.hoovers.com/anthem-health-plans-of-virginia/--ID__111016--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml





"The former Vice President for Public Policy and External Affairs at WellPoint, Elizabeth Fowler, is currently the Senior Counsel to Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and leading opponent of the "public option" in healthcare reform."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WellPoint

[MagickMuffin]

8. Max Baucus should be removed from his chairmanship

Can you say conflict of interest... Sure you can

Back in the good ole days, a congressman would have to meet these people in the dead of night to get their kickbacks. Now it's done in broad daylight, but behind closed doors.

[Rusty5329]

14. yep...

now Pelosi is getting fundraising from United Health coincidentally as she backs off the public option. Out in the daylight, almost mocking us, daring us to try and stop them.

[Joanne98]

3. I wonder how much the employees get paid?

[truedelphi]

4. K & R. Thank you for posting this. n/t

[Rusty5329]

11. thank you, n/t

[GardeningGal]

5. Wow - I'm surprised this is going to trial.

It will be interesting to see how it comes out. I'm betting Anthem will withdraw the charges because I can't believe they would want trial publicity on this.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. 300K a year for health insurance?!

For one non-profit with 36 employees. I'm willing to bet they had a couple catastrophics (cancer, accident, etc) and that blew their whole group up. Even worse, what if they didn't and that's just par for the course?

[izquierdista]

9. What to compare that to?

We know that the average health care cost (per capita) in the US is around $7000. If that insurance covers individuals, 7000x36 = 252,000. We know that insurance is only paying out 80 cents on the dollar, so divide 252K by 0.8 and get 315K. Doesn't seem out of line with the known statistics.

Now compare that to a country with a single payer plan, say Spain, where they spend $2100 per capita and you get a total bill of 75.6K. Just goes to show, you can get comprehensive health care in many places; to spend the most, you have to be an American.

[glinda]

7. Oh please let some media pick this up and put it on tv.

[Rusty5329]

10. sadly...

it wasn't a conservative, with a gun or a Hitler sign, so it isn't "news" to most media. We, at Sum of Change, happen to disagree.

[redqueen]

12. Maybe Keith or Rachel or Ed will mention it...

if we're lucky.

[Rusty5329]

13. I won't hold my breath...

For some reason, an orderly liberal demonstrating without an ak47 or a Hitler sign isn't newsworthy, even to Kieth and Rachel. Mainstream media doesn't report on what they think is important, but what they think will draw ratings.