Kansas City Doctors Sue Insurance Companies for Fraud and Extortion
A group of about 2000 Missouri physicians filed several class action lawsuits alleging that insurance providers engaged in extortion, fraud and collusion. According to the lawsuit, insurance companies are conspiring together with elaborate schemes making it difficult for patients to get needed care.
The course of treatment for a patient is essentially decided by bean-counters at the insurance company. The power to care for the patient is taken away from doctors because the insurance companies repeatedly reject medical claims as not "medically necessary." An excerpt from an infuriating article in the Kansas City Channel is below:
"We have a barrier between doctors and patients, and it's the insurance companies," said Dr. William Soper, with Mid-America Medical Affiliates."In essence, they are practicing medicine, which they have no right to do," said Dr. Bob Gibbons, with the Metropolitan Medical Society.
Doctors said the insurance companies are focused on money, not health.
"There's never been a better time to be an insurance company than right now," Soper said.
Studies show that insurance companies have doubled profits in just four years.
Doctors are accusing insurance providers of paying out incentives to claims adjusters who deny care.
"There's just a huge reward for denying care," Gibbons said.
What is even more infuriating is the fact that more of these lawsuits are not being filed nationwide. You can find the follow up article here.