Let’s hope no one gets hurt during this shootout between two health care hellions, because there’s a good chance they’ll deny themselves coverage.

You might know UnitedHealth, whose name was apparently fused together like that during a botched branding operation, by one of its many other names. There’s PacifiCare, who previously declared that jobs like firefighter and logger were “ineligible occupations.” Or maybe you’ve heard of Ingenix, accused of creating a database shared by multiple insurers that deliberately underestimated the cost of medical services. And then there’s Oxford, Ovations, AmeriCare or GoldenRule.

In the other corner is WellPoint, more often referred to as Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Here’s a company that once sued the state of Maine in order to jack up rates but then threw a hissy fit after state and federal officials intervened to stop WellPoint from increasing rates up to 39% on individual policyholders in California. Oh, and then there was that Reuters investigation which found that WellPoint had practiced rescission on breast cancer patients.

This poll is now closed. Congratulations to WellPoint! See you in the next round!

This is a post in our Worst Company In America 2011 series. The companies competing for this honor were chosen by you, the readers. Keep track of all the goings on HERE.
See and print the entire WCIA 2011 bracket, here.

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