Insurance Company Liable For $9 Million Dollars After Cancelling Health Insurance Policy for Cancer Patient
Last week, Health Net, Inc., a health insurance company, was found liable to one of its policyholders for cancelling a cancer patient's health insurance policy while the patient was undergoing treatment.
The decision prompted Health Net to announce that they are scrapping present and future cancelation plans.
The decisionmaker, Sam Cianchetti, a retired Los Angeles County judge, found that Health Net had violated numerous state law in canceling Pasty Bates' policy. He called the company's actions "despicable."
The trial also revealed that Health Net tied employee bonuses to the number of policies cancelled. The retired judge called the bonus program reprehensible.
What does this decision mean for Texas policyholders or Texas accident and injury victims who have been mistreated by the insurance companies?
Unfortunately, not much. In the past 10 years or so, Texas lawmakers and Texas courts have passed laws and issued decisions that protect insurance companies over policyholders. It is still very difficult in Texas to sue an insurance company directly and win. And even if you win, the laws make it difficult to survive an appeal.
If you are interested in protecting policyholders over insurance companies, the only way to make that happen is for your representatives to pass laws removing some of the protections provided to the insurance companies. Call your state representative and bring this to their attention.
The decision prompted Health Net to announce that they are scrapping present and future cancelation plans.
The decisionmaker, Sam Cianchetti, a retired Los Angeles County judge, found that Health Net had violated numerous state law in canceling Pasty Bates' policy. He called the company's actions "despicable."
The trial also revealed that Health Net tied employee bonuses to the number of policies cancelled. The retired judge called the bonus program reprehensible.
What does this decision mean for Texas policyholders or Texas accident and injury victims who have been mistreated by the insurance companies?
Unfortunately, not much. In the past 10 years or so, Texas lawmakers and Texas courts have passed laws and issued decisions that protect insurance companies over policyholders. It is still very difficult in Texas to sue an insurance company directly and win. And even if you win, the laws make it difficult to survive an appeal.
If you are interested in protecting policyholders over insurance companies, the only way to make that happen is for your representatives to pass laws removing some of the protections provided to the insurance companies. Call your state representative and bring this to their attention.
