Insurance

[palmspringsbum]

The Commerce File
The Ukiah Daily Journal | K. C. Meadows | 14 Oct 09


...So here's a good one coming to you from GE Medical Services in Beverly Hills which is now offering medical marijuana patients "health insurance" which will pay for their pot or pot plants. It says only "legitimate" medical marijuana users are eligible but then it goes on to say that you get your doctor's consultation over the phone or the Internet, all for only $25 per claim which is filed on line.

Director of Patient Affairs, Randy Ryder, says they can do this because "we do not deal with any conditions that are life-threatening, that need immediate physician or hospital care. We mostly deal with wellness and chronic issues, such as pain."

Hmm.. so much for medical marijuana being for the seriously ill and dying.

The way it works, according to the press release: GE submits a claim for its services to your insurance company, including the $25 you paid them. Then GE "assigns its income to the patient and the insurance company pays the patient."

I called a spokesman for GE who said basically the way it works is you send GE $25, they say, yes, you need pot, they bill your health insurance for cost of your pot - generally whatever your corner dispensary or dealer is charging - and the $25 you paid. They keep the $25 you gave them, but you get it back from your insurance company plus the cost of your pot. They get $25 every time you buy more pot and you get your pot for free.

They say they're working with 72 major commercial insurance carriers. I wonder if those carriers know they paying people's marijuana bills.