"We do not rescind a policyholder's coverage because someone on the policy gets sick," said a spokeswoman for Anthem Blue Cross, a subsidiary of WellPoint. "We have put in place a thorough process with multiple steps to ensure that we are as fair and as accurate as we can be in making these difficult decisions."

In a pending case, Blue Shield searched in vain for an inconsistency in the health records of the wife of a dairy farmer after she filed a claim for emergency gallbladder surgery, according to attorneys for the family. Turning to her husband's questionnaire, the company discovered he had not mentioned his high cholesterol and dropped them both.

Yvette Thomassian of Glendale, Calif., lost her Blue Cross policy because she did not declare a deviated septum. She questioned why a common misalignment of the nostrils would disqualify anyone.

They cancelled her healthcare over a crooked nose bone! Shocking this is tolerated, in a supposedly civilized nation.

It is beyond me that people would even be questioning many of the changes. Why would you want a system based on greed? Why do people make up stories that aim at preventing them access to medical care? Only in America.

Caring about people, making sure they have access to healthcare isn't, or shouldn't be, just a matter of money. It's a matter of the heart. Even if it cost me twice as much in taxes as it does now (and I only pay about 6-9% of my total income towards total healthcare coverage for all), I would gladly do it. Gladly! Some things are just worth more than money. The sad thing is, that doing things in a more compassionate and all-encompassing way, would actually save the US money. It's fear of losing money that holds them back and that's sad. Health is way more important than a few bucks in the bank. Any day.

It's funny I've never heard of anything like this happening to anyone I know! But then again, I don't live in the US.

My job is calling insurance companies with clinical updates. It happens far more often then most people realize.

the death squads are already here, and it's not just grandma, it's mom, dad, brother and sister. Just hope it's not you.

My dad was suppose to get that procedure where they put a hose in his arteries, puff up a bulb, and leave a hose behind to clear the artery passage. His insurance said that he was not covered for this "risky" (common) procedure but they allotted that the doctor could insert the line, inflate the balloon, and widen the artery space, but no tube could be left behind.

He died of a massive coronary 6 months later.

I should say 'heart attack' because the word 'coronary' simply came to mind and might be the wrong term. Not sure if there is a difference without looking it up and don't want to bother. My point is simply that it was an insurance company that refused him the proper procedure and the ad hoc secondary procedure, at best, didn't help and at worse, caused his death.