James Byrd

James Marlyn Byrd is a policy analyst who has worked in both private industry and the federal government- and now that he is retired, involved in efforts to end exclusionary practices by many of the nation's top health insurers.

Health insurer WellPoint routinely looks to cancel health insurance for women with breast cancer who have paid their health premiums, and who have active insurance policies covering their conditions, according to an exclusive report by Murray Waas for Reuters.

These revelations come after Assurant Health was found guilty of wrongly revoking the heath insurance policy of 17-year old Jerome Mitchell, who had contracted HIV while insured by Assurant Health.

The revelations about unethical and illegal rescission practices by WellPoint, and by Assurant Health, are the subject of two excellent stories by Murray Waas for Reuters.

As in Mitchell's case, policyholders with HIV often had insurance policies canceled on erroneous information, the flimsiest of evidence, or for no good reason at all, Murray Waas wrote for Reuters, citing court documents and interviews with state and federal investigators.

I