Kudos to Steve Duin of The Oregonian for this column on Azusa Suzuki’s struggle to prove that she is entitled to Regence Blue Cross supplemental medicare insurance coverage for medical expenses incurred in a motor vehicle collision.
Apparently Regence decided that Ms. Suzuki was dead and–for that reason–Regence decided it did not need to pay her bills. She worked for years to prove she’s very much alive. It sounds almost comical. But if you watch the linked video or read the article, it’s apparent that outrage is the only response.
The Duin article points up a serious problem in Oregon. Consumers are at the mercy of insurance companies. When they do not pay claims, when they violate Oregon law, and when they do not fairly adjust claims, Oregon consumers are virtually out of luck. The problem is a lack of consumer remedies against insurance companies that misbehave.
Senator Chip Shields is trying to fix that. He has introduced a bill–SB 719–which protect Oregon consumers by making insurance companies meet the bare standards set out in Oregon’s Unlawful Trade Practices Act.
In this session of godawful Salem bills, it’s nice to see the champions of consumers are still fighting for the rest of us. Appreciation is due–as always–to Sen. Shields. Consumers have few friends in the Oregon legislature. He is one of our best.
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