Prosecuting insurance companies who commit fraud has long been a cornerstone of Theresa Caballero's Campaign for District Attorney. This is a huge problem in El Paso County and Nationwide with insurance companies selling policies and then cutting people off when they get sick.
People are being struck down and left to die in the middle of their illnesses and the insurance companies are giving bonuses to their employees for disqualifying the sick people. This is called stealing and fraud and the consequences are the ultimate: death!
The current District Attorney has done absolutely nothing about this for 16 years. It is time for a positive change. When there was hue and cry against Young Insurance Company and Access Health Care, he did nothing.
Theresa Caballero, on the other hand, will form a Financial Crimes Unit (she has been talking about this for a year) and will investigate and prosecute this high level and most vicious form of theft.
It was reported yesterday, February 23, 2008, on page C-2 of the San Francisco Chronicle, under the headline: "Insurer must pay $9 million for canceling policy; Health Net dropped coverage for woman undergoing cancer treatment", that: (selected exerpts from Chronicle Staff and News Services follow)
"A Southern California woman who had her medical coverage canceled as she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer was awarded more than $9 million Friday in a case against one of California's largest health insurers."
...
"...arbitration judge Sam Cianchetti ordered Health Net to pay her medical bills, plus $8.4 million in punitive damages and $750,000.00 for emotional distress."
...
"Health insurers have come under fire from state regulators, attorneys and advocates for using mistakes or omissions in a member's application to justify canceling coverage after a policy holder becomes ill."
...
"Friday's award marked the first punitive damages ordered by a judge in a case against an insurer for rescinding policies."
But here is the truly remarkable thing about this case and how it ties in to Theresa Caballero's Campaign Platform on this issue:
"Friday's award capped a difficult week for the insurer, which included being sued by the Los Angeles city attorney on claims of unlawful and deceptive practices in connection with its rescission policies. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo also said the company illegally ran an incentive program in which it paid bonuses to an administrator for meeting policy-cancellation targets."
This is good, innovative prosecution that the L.A. City Attorney is doing out in California. It is also exactly what Theresa Caballero has been talking about as one of her campaign platforms: To form a new Financial Crimes Prosecution Unit with real teeth to it. She will use her resources wisely and hire and assign forensic accountants to it as well as attorneys who are experienced and dedicated to the area of prosecuting this kind of high level theft. She has said they will have the expertise to "follow the money" trails! This is exactly the kind of crime Theresa Caballero will go after. You know she will. You know she is not scared of anybody. You know she owes no one anything. You know she knows who the real thieves are.
When is the last time you read or heard about the current DA going after these big insurance carriers or any other big crooks in his 16 years? We know he prosecutes the welfare mothers for stealing diapers at Wal-mart and that is as it shold be. But the prosecutions of the big crooks must also take place and that has not been happening.
So how can we expect him to address these issues of insurance companies committing fraud and public corruption? His record shows us that he won't.
El Pasoans need to protect themselves and their families by electing a new District Attorney who will go after the real crooks: politicians who sell their votes which results in higher taxes for all of us and health insurance companies who leave us to die in the gutter.
People are being struck down and left to die in the middle of their illnesses and the insurance companies are giving bonuses to their employees for disqualifying the sick people. This is called stealing and fraud and the consequences are the ultimate: death!
The current District Attorney has done absolutely nothing about this for 16 years. It is time for a positive change. When there was hue and cry against Young Insurance Company and Access Health Care, he did nothing.
Theresa Caballero, on the other hand, will form a Financial Crimes Unit (she has been talking about this for a year) and will investigate and prosecute this high level and most vicious form of theft.
It was reported yesterday, February 23, 2008, on page C-2 of the San Francisco Chronicle, under the headline: "Insurer must pay $9 million for canceling policy; Health Net dropped coverage for woman undergoing cancer treatment", that: (selected exerpts from Chronicle Staff and News Services follow)
"A Southern California woman who had her medical coverage canceled as she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer was awarded more than $9 million Friday in a case against one of California's largest health insurers."
...
"...arbitration judge Sam Cianchetti ordered Health Net to pay her medical bills, plus $8.4 million in punitive damages and $750,000.00 for emotional distress."
...
"Health insurers have come under fire from state regulators, attorneys and advocates for using mistakes or omissions in a member's application to justify canceling coverage after a policy holder becomes ill."
...
"Friday's award marked the first punitive damages ordered by a judge in a case against an insurer for rescinding policies."
But here is the truly remarkable thing about this case and how it ties in to Theresa Caballero's Campaign Platform on this issue:
"Friday's award capped a difficult week for the insurer, which included being sued by the Los Angeles city attorney on claims of unlawful and deceptive practices in connection with its rescission policies. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo also said the company illegally ran an incentive program in which it paid bonuses to an administrator for meeting policy-cancellation targets."
This is good, innovative prosecution that the L.A. City Attorney is doing out in California. It is also exactly what Theresa Caballero has been talking about as one of her campaign platforms: To form a new Financial Crimes Prosecution Unit with real teeth to it. She will use her resources wisely and hire and assign forensic accountants to it as well as attorneys who are experienced and dedicated to the area of prosecuting this kind of high level theft. She has said they will have the expertise to "follow the money" trails! This is exactly the kind of crime Theresa Caballero will go after. You know she will. You know she is not scared of anybody. You know she owes no one anything. You know she knows who the real thieves are.
When is the last time you read or heard about the current DA going after these big insurance carriers or any other big crooks in his 16 years? We know he prosecutes the welfare mothers for stealing diapers at Wal-mart and that is as it shold be. But the prosecutions of the big crooks must also take place and that has not been happening.
So how can we expect him to address these issues of insurance companies committing fraud and public corruption? His record shows us that he won't.
El Pasoans need to protect themselves and their families by electing a new District Attorney who will go after the real crooks: politicians who sell their votes which results in higher taxes for all of us and health insurance companies who leave us to die in the gutter.
on February 24, 2008, 6:10 pm
Reply to this comment