Tens of Millions of Claims Denied Each Year; Care Over Cost Campaign Helps People Appeal and Win Unjust Claims Denials

Contact: Johanna Kichton, [email protected], 202.660.0605

WASHINGTON, D.C.–People’s Action today hosted a livestream event along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,  to promote its Care Over Cost campaign to help people get the care they deserve by overturning wrongful claim denials from private health insurers. Other speakers included people who organized to win their appeals and people still fighting to get the care they need from their private insurance companies. The six largest private insurers took in $41 billion of profits just last year. Private insurers denied 42.3 million in-network claims on the ACA marketplace in 2020 alone. 

“Sharing our stories is empowering. Until I found out I could fight back in this way, I’d resigned myself to my condition and Cigna taking advantage of me. But I can reclaim my agency by organizing together,” Missouri Jobs with Justice member leader Mark Hall said.

“Insurers raised premiums 28% in the last year, the biggest increase ever. Private health insurance corporations are not only ripping off their policyholders–they’re profiting off their pain,” People’s Action Health Care for All Campaign Director Aija Nemer-Aanerud said. “That’s wrong, and people from Alabama to Wisconsin are organizing together to win the care they need.”

“A rational health care system is a system that guarantees health care for all. It is not a system designed to make private health insurance companies huge profits,” Senator Bernie Sanders said. “What we can do is stand up and fight back and understand that health care is a human right and not a privilege.” 

The Care Over Cost: When Insurance Won’t Pay, We Fight Back livestream may be viewed here. Visit the campaign website here for patient stories and updates.

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People’s Action builds the power of poor and working people in urban, rural, and suburban areas to win change through issue fights and elections. We are a national network of 38 state and local grassroots power-building organizations in 28 states–united in the work of building a bigger “we.”