Rescission

Rescission is the practice by which health insurance companies improperly or illegally canceled the health insurance policies of policyholders recently diagnosed with HIV, cancer, and other potentially deadly and costly diseases.

It was frequently cited as a reason by President Obama during the historic health care debate as to why reform was so necessary.

Former health insurance industry executive Wendell Potter, who was a Center fellow during the debate, had been instrumental in bringing the problem to light.

External resources

2009

• Jim Acosta and Bonney Kapp, Ex-executive accuses insurance giant of 'purging' customers, CNN's American Morning July 2, 2009.
• McLaren and Torchinsky, Ex-exec testifies against insurance giant for 'purging' customers, The Consumerist blog, July 3, 2009.
• Andrew Kennis, The Paradox of US Healthcare, Al Jazeera, July 6, 2009.
• Richard Cohen Socialized Medicine? Bring It On, Washington Post, July 14, 2009.
• Dr. Jon LaPook, My Interview With President Obama - Dr. Jon LaPook Talks Health Care Reform With The President, CBS News, July 16, 2009.
• Dinah Wisenberg Brin, In Health Debate, Ex-Insider Targets Insurance Industry, Wall Street Journal, July 20, 2009.
• Kris Hundley, At what cost care?, St. Petersburg Times, July 21, 2009.
• Paul Harris, Whistleblower tells of America's hidden nightmare for its sick poor, The Observer, July 23, 2009.
• Murray Waas "Insurance Company Must Pay $10 Million For Revoking Policy of Teen with HIV," Huffington Post, Sept. 17, 2009.
• Murray Waas"Insurance Company Must Pay $10 Million For Revoking Policy of Teen with HIV," Huffington Post, Sept. 17, 2009.

2010

• Murray Waas, "Insurer Targeted HIV Patients to Cancel Coverage," Reuters, March 17, 2010
• Paul Krugman, "Demons and Demonization," the New York Times, March 17, 2010.
• Ryan Chuttum, "Reuters is Excellent in Digging Up Insurer's Tactics," Columbia Journalism Review, March 17, 2010.
• " Bill Moyers Journal", PBS , April 13, 2010
• Murray Waas, "WellPoint Routinely Targets Breast Cancer Patients," Reuters via Common Dreams, April 24, 2010.
• Tim Noah, "Obama v. WellPoint," Slate, May 10, 2010.