J. Patrick Rooney

J. Patrick Rooney
Born
John Patrick Rooney

(1927-12-13)December 13, 1927
Lawrenceville, Illinois
DiedSeptember 15, 2008(2008-09-15) (aged 80)
Indianapolis, Indiana
OccupationsInsurance executive, activist

John Patrick Rooney (December 13, 1927 – September 15, 2008) was the chairman and founder of the Fairness Foundation, whose goal is to help low-income Americans with education and challenging large health care bills. He was the main proponent of what became health savings accounts.[1][2][3] He was also the chairman of Golden Rule Insurance Company from 1976 until he retired in 1996.[3]

Biography

Rooney was born in Lawrenceville, Illinois, where he was educated in the public school system.[4]

In June 1976, he became the chairman of Golden Rule Insurance Company, upon the death of his father.[3][4]

In 1976, Rooney successfully led a fight against discrimination in insurance agent testing with an eight-year lawsuit against the State of Illinois and the Educational Testing Service.[5] The suit charged discrimination against minority applicants. Estimated cost of the litigation and experts was approximately $2 million. The civil rights case was settled with a precedent-setting agreement that requires a method of constructing exams designed to eliminate unnecessary racial disparities.[4]

In 1991, Rooney advocated for school vouchers and founded the Educational Choice Charitable Trust.[6] The Educational Choice Charitable Trust provides tuition assistance for students from lower-income families in Indianapolis whose parents want them to attend a private school.[7]

Rooney briefly sought the 1996 Republican nomination for governor of Indiana.[3]

His efforts led to the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996.[4]

He lobbied Congress to win tax-free status for health savings accounts, which Congress granted in 2003.[4]

Rooney received attention in October 2006 United States Congressional elections, after America's PAC, a group to which Rooney donated $900,000, ran controversial ads alleging that Democrats "want to abort black babies".[8]

Also October 2006, Mr. Rooney criticized the prices that hospitals charge, when compared to the price that Medicare pays, claiming that it was racial discrimination.[9]

Death

On Friday, September 12, 2008, Rooney worked a full day. He attended church on Sunday, September 14, 2008, before dying in his sleep that night at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, on September 15, 2008, aged 80.[3][10]

In his will and testament, he left $100,000 apiece to his seven grandchildren, another $200,000 to his wife, Karen G. Hall, and the rest to the M.A. Rooney Foundation, an educational charity he ran with his daughter, Therese Rooney.[10]

References

  1. ^ Rooney, J. Patrick; Perrin, Dan (May 2008). "America's Health Care Crisis Solved: Money-Saving Solutions, Coverage for Everyone".
  2. ^ Scherer, Michael (March 2004). "Medicare's Hidden Bonanza". Mother Jones.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Patrick Rooney; helped start accounts for medical savings". The Boston Globe. September 17, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e VERDERAME, JYOTI A. "J. Patrick Rooney". Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.
  5. ^ "Test Service Accepts Safeguards Against Bias". The New York Times. November 29, 1984.
  6. ^ Robelen, Erik W. (September 30, 2008). "Deaths: J. Patrick Rooney". Education Week.
  7. ^ "Choice Evidence". Education Week. May 1, 1996.
  8. ^ Grunwald, Michael (October 27, 2006). "The Year Of Playing Dirtier". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ Hoppe, David (November 24, 2008). "Defending the uninsured". NUVO.
  10. ^ a b "Rooney's death spawns uncertainty for struggling insurance company, not-for-profit". IBJ. October 6, 2008.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Patrick_Rooney