Hullabaloo

Friday, April 10, 2009

 
Give Me The Post Office Any Day

by digby

In the coming debates over health care, when your Uncle Bob pulls out the old conservative trope asking, "would you really want government bureaucrats to be in charge of your health care?" give him this article:

Five months ago, Rose Camilleri was a superstar at the Zales outlet at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.

In November, the diminutive grandmother with an Italian accent was flown to Dallas, home of Zales' headquarters, where she was honored with a 1-carat diamond necklace for making $1 million in sales last year.

[...]

It was the fifth diamond Camilleri had earned during 4½ years at Zales, where she received nearly a dozen commendations.

"I loved my work," she said. "I loved the people, and I loved it when people came in and asked for me."

But in early March, Camilleri developed bronchitis and went for a chest X-ray and an MRI. Her doctor discovered an aortic aneurysm, a weakness in the wall of the aorta, which, without prompt treatment, might rupture and cause quick death.

Camilleri told Zales she would need surgery as soon as possible.

"I told my manager I can't get upset because it could explode any minute," she said. "I typed up a letter asking for time off and guidance from human resources."

One week later, on March 14, she was asked to attend a meeting with a new regional manager.

"He said, 'You're terminated,'" Camilleri recalled. "I tried to keep myself very calm because I knew something could happen to me. I said, 'You're joking — you've never been in my store.' He said, 'It's the best thing.'"

It also meant Camilleri had to postpone her March 26 surgery until she could convert her insurance to a self-pay plan known as COBRA.

Two weeks later, Camilleri had not even received the paperwork.

Her son e-mailed the Times Herald-Record.

"We are told that it could take up to 45 days," Charles Camilleri wrote. "I lay awake every night fearing the worst."

Contacted by the Record, Zales would not comment. Charles Camilleri called Zales' human resources, explaining it was a life-or-death matter, and he simply needed a fax from Zales to start the COBRA process. He was floored by the employee's response.

"She said, "Well, if the surgery was rescheduled, then it's probably not a life-or-death situation," Charles Camilleri recalled. "I absolutely was blown away

Once again, the Record contacted Zales' corporate office, stressing that Rose Camilleri's condition could be fatal.

That afternoon, Charles got good news from Zales.

"They're turning my mother's health coverage back on today and expediting the COBRA information," he said.

After paying the first premium of $830, Rose had surgery last week and was back home on Sunday. "I don't think we would have had the surgery so soon if it weren't for your e-mail," Charles Camilleri said. "They probably would have kept us hanging."

If people really think that dealing with private industry bureaucrats is any improvement over government bureaucrats, they need their heads examined. Human resources is a cost center not a profit center and most businesses do not put their best employees there. (That's not to say there aren't good HR people out there, just that they are the step children of the business world.)

The sad thing is that this woman's fight is only getting started because she hasn't even begun to deal with the insurance company yet. Lord knows what awaits her with that. In that industry, they actually give bonuses to their employees for denying coverage to their policy holders.

I know that people think the government is cumbersome and unresponsive. But I have had dealings with the IRS that are far more efficient and pleasant than anything I've ever done with an insurance company. The post office almost never loses a letter. Airplanes rarely run into each other in the sky and until George Bush came in, we didn't have a lot of food born illness or drugs malfunctioning. They actually do a pretty good job, if only because the people raise holy hell if they don't and have some ability to affect who the bosses are.

I would much prefer a government run bureaucracy than a for profit bureaucracy. In the first I am at least a stakeholder. In the latter I'm simply a cost.

h/t to bb


digby 4/10/2009 07:30:00 PM |