Durbin goes to bat in Senate for SIU baseball coach
Callahan
WASHINGTON — Throughout the months of health care debate, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has told stories of constituents fighting insurance companies.
On Monday, Durbin shared the story of Southern Illinois University baseball coach Dan Callahan.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Durbin implored colleagues to take up the health care bill by recounting the story of Callahan, who Durbin said he knew before Callahan’s Little League days.
While honoring Callahan for his Missouri Valley Conference Most Courageous Award, Durbin told of Callahan’s fight to maintain an expensive, experimental treatment for a rare form of melanoma. Callahan has undergone about $82,000 in treatments that are proving successful, but Durbin said Callahan’s insurance company, Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc., will no longer pay for the treatments.
Callahan’s insurance saga was chronicled last week in a Sunday P-D editorial.
“If these companies can turn us down for life-saving drugs and treatments at these critical moments, then we are entirely at their mercy,” Durbin said on the floor.
“If you can’t shop for another health-insurance company because you have a history of cancer or pre-existing illness, you’re stuck. You’re at their mercy. Now is that as good as it gets in America? This is still the only industrialized country in the world where a person can literally die for lack of health insurance.”
Durbin chided WellPoint Inc. for posting large profits while turning down Callahan’s request for additional treatments.
“When it comes right down to it, (WellPoint is) one of the most profitable health insurance companies in America,” Durbin said.
“Its enrollment has fallen off a little bit, but it didn’t stop WellPoint from posting $730 million in profits for the last three months. Despite their profitability and their strength in the stock market and increase in share value, they’ve decided they will no longer cover the use of the drug for Dan Callahan.”
Callahan is in his 16th season as the Salukis’ manager and is the school’s second-winningest coach. Last year, he managed at home games but was unable to travel to away games.
Durbin very nice sharing here.I have read this post and just wanted to say it is very informative and interesting.The story which is provided by you is great and health related I have learn alot from this post.Thanks for sharing such a great post here…
Ironic that when Durbin got on the Senate Floor and defended ACORN after the pimp/prostitute videos were released that nothing was said. I guess the PD only posts what areas they want addressed to their own satisfaction. Durbin needs to go.
His optimism and sense of humor in the face of adversity have been remarkable, as his road to recovery continues. He is a real contender for this award.
localvoice, you are an Internet troll. Get lost.
I am no fan of Senator Durbin but I commend him for his thoughts about Dan Callahan, a truly great guy and representative for the State of Illinois in the sport of baseball.
Those of us who know Dan are rooting hard for his total recovery.
Senator Durbin got it correct; WellPoint made a whopping $730 million last quarter. What he failed to mention was that WellPoint had $15.4 billion in income. That means WellPoint made 4.7% on income.
How evil of this company to make less than 5% in profits.
Sure, $730 million sounds like a lot. But that’s nothing when you compare it with their sales.
I’m not trying to be heartless. I feel for the coach and his family. But we cannot blame a company for trying to make money, even if it 4.7%