Letter to Cigna Health Care

Posted May 15, 2010, 3:25 p.m.

So, I got a letter from my health insurance company—Cigna Health Care—with a questionnaire about one of Melissa’s health insurance claims. Apparently, the company was concerned that the pathologist from Melissa’s surgery in January might have been dealing with a ‘pre-existing condition’ (though, apparently, the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and hospital room that all filed claims for the same surgery passed without inquiry).

Let me know if you think my cover letter on the questionnaire response gets my point across . . .

Dear Sir or Madam:

In response to your inquiry of 4/29/2010 regarding the above referenced claim number, please find our response to your Pre-Existing Condition Questionnaire enclosed.

Please note that Melissa has been a Cigna customer for several years without interruption. The only change in that time has been a one-time switch from her employer’s Cigna plan to my employer’s Cigna plan. This change occurred with no interruption; in fact, there was an about 1-month overlap of coverage between the two plans.

I would respectfully suggest that any further inquiries regarding Melissa’s medical history, or inquiries relating to her ‘prior creditable coverage,’ be referred to your own company records and not to us.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Scott Bradford

For the record, just because I opposed the particular health care reform plan passed by Congress doesn’t mean I think the system doesn’t need fixing. . . .

Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.

Quotes

I apologize to the rationalists even for calling them rationalists. There are no rationalists. We all believe fairy-tales, and live in them.

Hastiness and superficiality are the psychic diseases of the twentieth century, and more than anywhere else this disease is reflected in the press.

If your view of the world is that people use reason for their important decisions, you are setting yourself up for a life of frustration and confusion.

Action comes from keeping the heat on. No politician can sit on a hot issue if you make it hot enough.

Encased in their provincialism and supported by Western intellectuals, Third World leaders blamed the West for the failures of their own cultures. Instead of asking themselves ‘What did we do wrong? How can we put it right?’ they asked ‘Who did that to us?’

A liberal is fundamentally fearful of concentrated power. His objective is to preserve the maximum degree of freedom for each individual separately that is compatible with one man’s freedom not interfering with other men’s freedom.

Being right and being wrong feel exactly the same to all of us. We can’t tell the difference. If we could, everyone would agree on everything important.

Fighting Communism, Socialism, and the subversion of constitutional government is everybody’s job. And working for the expansion of freedom is everybody’s job.

I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgement.

The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Scripture alone is insufficient. Authoritative teaching is also needed.

Regardless of its hypothetical virtues . . . the implementation of Marxism was a disaster everywhere it was attempted. . . .

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition. . . . The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.

If a man’s thoughts are unsteady, if he does not know the true law, if his peace of mind is troubled, his knowledge will never be perfect.

We know that love doesn’t mean unquestioning acceptance, constant affirmation, or bottomless approval. People who expect these things are narcissists; people who indulge them are sycophants.

Don’t judge without having heard both sides. Even persons who think themselves virtuous very easily forget this elementary rule of prudence.

You’ve got to be optimist to be a Democrat, and you’ve got to be a humorist to stay one.

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.

Indifference . . . is the epitome of evil.

We have certain standards of life that we believe are best for us. We do not ask other nations to discard theirs, but we do wish to preserve ours.