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Health Insurers Mull Secret Donor Election Front Group |
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Yesterday, we reported that the nation’s biggest health insurers are “sparing no expense to weaken” the new health care reform law by lobbying the state regulators who are writing new regulations to ensure consumers’ premium dollars are spent on real medical care.
Today, a new report from the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) reveals the same insurance giants are discussing forming a $20 million, “nonprofit” front group to influence regulations, sway voters and back industry-friendly candidates.
The companies, according to CPI, are Aetna Inc., Cigna Corp., Humana Inc., United HealthCare Inc. and WellPoint Inc. Sources told CPI they:
expect millions of dollars will be pumped into issue advertising in a number of races where candidates sympathetic to health industry concerns have a shot at winning….Overall, the insurers are expected to focus on swaying about two dozen close House contests, says one source.
Keep in mind that during the health care debate there was near unanimous Republican opposition to the bill and the strong insurance reforms the industry is now fighting. Senate and House Republican leaders have marked repeal of health care reform as a top item on their agenda if they win back control of Congress.
During last year’s contentious health care debate in Congress, writes CPI:
these same five insurers—teamed up to channel between $10 million and $20 million to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to underwrite a negative advertising drive to block the legislation.
The front group under discussion would be what is known as a 501(c)(4) group, which, says CPI:
is legally allowed to engage in lobbying and election-related work. Donors to this type of nonprofit don’t have to be publicly disclosed.
Click here for more on the industry’s drive to weaken new health insurance rules and here for a report from Health Care for America Now!
5 Comments
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If they have all the money they have already spent and are going to spend now, it is proof that the insurance companies have been ripping Americans off. If they have this kind of money healthcare reform needs to be strenghthened.
How much money do you suppose they really make after paying hugh salaries and bonuses to CEO’s and directors of insurance Co’s and paying shareholders. It’s proof we should have a public option for healthcare coverage.
Thank you
Hey, our illustrious supreme court says it’s okay. They opened the floodgate, then congress couldn’t pass the “Disclose Act”. Pathetic. Doomed!
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If the leadership had followed the rank ‘n file Pittsburgh resolution supportive of a Single Payer Universal system, this possibly could have been a “moot point.” Instead we continue to support those who enable this sort of greed because they take money hand over fist from big insurance. This is why President Obama and Baucus never even gave Single Payer an inkling of a fair hearing. Any complaints about this from these self serving politicos is just posturing. Nothing more or less.
US Labor Party.
Workers everywhere celebrate May 1 as International Workers Day, often with strikes and demonstrations of workers power. Not here – oh, no! That would be ‘communist’ or something, even though May Day started in Chicago in 1887. Nope – we are stuck with a safe, non-threatening Labor Day picnic. Workers in advanced countries get paid vacations and maternity benefits we here do not even dream of. They have free, or nearly free health care, while we scrounge for crumbs from the bosses table. They have strong unions, while ours are disappearing. They have a Labor Party, while we have Joe Lieberman.