Everyday Americans arrested at health insurance company offices in nine cities yesterday

14 still in custody in New York, Sam Pullen intending to remain in custody to end insurance abuse and win health care for all

Washington DC – Chanting “patients not profits,” citizens and health care providers held rallies and sit-ins at health insurance company offices in New York, Washington, Phoenix, Palm Beach, Portland, Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Reno. (Full list of cities and arrests below.) 54 were arrested to support an end to insurance abuse and win health care for all. 14 arrested in New York have not yet been released. Sam Pullen, 31, arrested in Los Angeles is refusing to give information to police, vowing to stay in jail until Blue Cross, where he protested yesterday, stops denying care to those who need it most. Another round of sit-ins and rallies is planned for Wednesday, October 28.

Pullen was inspired to action by his mother, who was denied coverage for a lifesaving bone marrow transplant by Blue Cross when he was a teenager. Weakened by her cancer treatments, Pullen’s mother staged a one-woman sit-in at the insurance company office, resulting in the approval of the transplant that extended her life for years. Thanks to the transplant, she lived long enough to see Pullen reach 18 years of age.

“I am honoring my mother’s sprit by refusing to leave custody until Blue Cross ceases its practice of denying doctor-requested treatments for patients with life-threatening conditions,” said Pullen, who is being supported by Mobilization for Health Care for All and other groups. “We will not back down until profit-driven insurance companies no longer stand between the American people and the health care they deserve!”

Participants in yesterday’s actions included health care providers who have seen the worst impacts of health insurance company denials, and are call for real health care reform that addresses the real cause of the health care crisis, the insurance companies.

“I believe that the only answer to the health care crisis is a system that puts people before profit. And that’s why I was willing to drive 500 miles in one day to be a part of the rally in Cleveland,” says Margaret DiVentura, 54, a resident of Pittsburgh who drove to Cleveland yesterday to participate in a sit-in at the offices of Medical Mutual insurance company. Participants of the action in Cleveland risked arrest but police put the building on lockdown and refused to arrest them. DiVentura is a retired nurse after 28 years of service.

As a nurse, DiVentura acted as her hospital’s advocate for patients who had had claims denied by an insurance company. For three years her daily work included reviewing and appealing denials for doctor-requested care. But now she is calling for a system in which no one is denied care for the treatments they need. “There is just not going to be justice in this country until we have health care for all,” she said.

The mobilization was launched two weeks ago when 17 people were arrested at an Aetna office in downtown New York City (read New York Times city blog write-up). Last week, 7 were arrested at a Cigna office in downtown Chicago (see Associated Press article). (View videos of New York sit-in and Chicago sit-in on YouTube.) Yesterday, over 54 people were arrested at insurance offices for United Health Group, Wellpoint, Humana, Cigna, Medical Mutual, and Blue Cross. In several cities, police put the insurance company buildings on lockdown and refused entry to all. (View a video of the Washington DC rally and sit-in at Wellpoint insurance company and the New York rally on Democracy Now! and sit-in at United HealthGroup.)

Many who participated in yesterday’s action had been denied care by a health insurance company.

“When I needed treatment for my ulcer, Blue Cross denied my claim after I had had my treatment. It is downright wrong that insurance companies decide who lives or dies based on what treatment is most ‘profitable,” said Sheila Dvorak, age 27, a resident of Los Angeles who was arrested yesterday for sitting in front of the Blue Cross office in downtown Los Angeles. “We need a health care system that places patients before profit.”

Participants in the rallies and sit-ins represented the 120 people a day who die because of lack of quality health care, and the 2,550 people per day who file for bankruptcy because of inability to pay for health care.

“Insurance companies are not only denying care to people who need it, but they’re bringing financial ruin to people every day,” stated Al Rogers, who was arrested yesterday at the Humana health insurance office in Palm Beach. “It breaks your heart, because you know that people are dying every day due to lack of care, just because a health insurance company thinks it’s not ‘profitable’ to give them care.”

Yesterday’s sit-ins are part of the Patients Not Profit campaign of the Mobilization for Health Care for All. The mobilization was launched by several national organizations. The actions are coordinated in cooperation with local groups based in each city and give people an outlet for their frustration and even outrage about insurance company abuse. The groups advocate for Medicare for All, a public single payer health care plan that expands Medicare to cover everyone. The groups are planning another wave of actions at insurance company offices on Wednesday, October 28.

“This will be one of the largest campaigns of nonviolent civil disobedience since the civil rights movement,” stated Kai Newkirk, national coordinator for the Mobilization for Health Care for All. “It’s just beginning and will continue and build until the insurance companies no longer stand between us and the care we need.”

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Thursday, October 15, 2009 – SIT-INS AND ARRESTS

1) New York, NY, 10am EST, United HealthGroup / 1 Penn Plaza / 10119
Contact: Omar Kutty / omarkutty@hotmail.com / 773-576-2559 / Arrests: 17

2) Washington, DC, 10am EST, Wellpoint / 655 15th St NW
Contact: Kevin Zeese / kzeese@earthlink.net / 301-996-6582 / Participants risked arrest, but police refused to arrest

3) Palm Beach, FL, 11:30am EST, Humana / 2056 Vista Pkwy
Contact: Rick Ford / floridianshealth@aol.com / 561-601-9150 / Arrests: 6

4) Boston, MA, 12:00p EST, Cigna Office / 2223 Washington St / 02462
Contact Ben Day / 617-723-7001 / director@masscare.org / Arrests: 11

5) Cleveland, OH, 10am Central, Medical Mutual / 2060 E 9th St / 44115
Contact: Drew Smith / drewsmith86@gmail.com / 330-703-0556 / Participants risked arrest, but police refused to arrest

6) Portland, OR, 10am, Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield / 100 SW Market / 97201
Contact: Chris Lowe / 503-788-2543 (preferred) 503-913-3980 / clowe@igc.org / Arrests: 11

7) Phoenix, AZ, 4-6p, United Healthcare / 2390 E. Camelback Road Suite 300 / 85016
Contact: Dan O’Neal / 480-650-0746 / dan@pdamerica.org / No participants arrested

Los Angeles, CA, 10am, Anthem Blue Cross / 801 S. Figueroa St. / 90017
Contact: Sam Pullen / samuelbpullen@hotmail.com / 760-275-7874 / Arrests: 12

9) Reno, NV, 11am , United Healthcare 5190 Neil Road #420 / 89502
Contact: Lisa Stiller 775-232-2823 / 775-746-1313 / koffeenut@yahoo.com / No participants arrested