Big Insurance Funds Chamber of Commerce to Kill Health Care Reform
 |
|
The nation’s biggest health insurers have been funneling money quietly to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to air lie-filled, scare-mongering commercials about health care reform.
Like Capt. Renault, who discovered there was gambling going on at Rick’s Café Américain in Casablanca, we are: “Shocked, shocked….” Yeah, right.
Most observers of the health care reform fight suspected the major insurers that make up the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) were helping to foot the bill for the latest round of ads by two “business coalitions” subsidized by the Chamber. But it wasn’t until Peter Stone at the National Journal connected the dots that we had proof.
Dan Pfeiffer, White House communications director, says the report confirms
one of Washington’s worst-kept secrets—which is big insurance companies are fighting tooth and nail to kill health reform that will wrest power from their hands and give it to American families.
Let’s Have a Real Senate Debate on Health Care
 |
||||
|
||||
Next week, the U.S. Senate is expected to begin debate on long-promised health care reform legislation. We’ve waited decades and fought hard for this moment—but progress could be blocked if a minority of senators refuses to allow a fair debate and a fair vote.
That’s right: Despite huge wins for pro-working family, pro-health care reform candidates in the House and Senate and the election of a pro-health care reform president, a few senators can do the bidding of insurance companies and prevent a bill from getting to the floor or getting a vote.
Now is the time to contact your senators and tell them: Health care can’t wait. It’s time for action.
Here’s more news from the fight for real health care reform:
- The Alliance for Retired Americans offered thanks to members of the U.S. House who voted to pass a health care reform bill that will improve Medicare and help the young and seniors alike. Alliance members also are protesting insurance companies like Humana that have used scare tactics and falsehoods to try and stop reform.
Big Rallies to Protest Humana’s Scare Tactics, and More Health Care News
 |
||||
|
||||
Polling out today shows—again—that the U.S. public wants health care. More news from the battle for health care below.
* The Alliance for Retired Americans continues to pressure Humana and other insurers to stop using scare tactics against seniors, including a rally at Humana’s offices in Springfield, Mo.
* Health care reform isn’t about protecting just those who are uninsured now: A survey by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows more than one-third of those polled are worried about losing the insurance they have.
* Negotiators in the U.S. House and Senate are looking for a way to get a public option into the final bill.
* Paul Waldman of The American Prospect notes that the insurance industry has stopped pretending to support reform. It’s fighting hard—including using dodgy statistics—against any measures that would prevent them from denying care and charging exorbitant prices.
Today in Health Care
 |
|
Here’s the latest news from around the country as the battle for real health care reform continues:
* 45,000 people die every year from lack of access to health insurance. How much would it cost to cover those 45,000 every year, saving their lives? Here’s a hint: It’s less than the $263 million the health care industry has spent this year on lobbying.
* Today, the California Labor Federation begins a 24-hour vigil in Sacramento to let their elected leaders know that they demand health care reform now, including a public option to bring down costs for families. California union members also will hold events this week in Los Angeles, San Diego and Bakersfield.
Insurance Industry Report: So Twisted Even Its Author Disowns It
 |
|
Turns out the “report” on health care reform, released by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), is being denounced by the very company that prepared it.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) admits that at the request of AHIP, it cooked up the scariest scenario possible about the cost of health care reform and ignored factors that show health care reform could actually save money.
According to the Politico’s Live Pulse column, PwC released a statement
basically saying, “Hey, we weren’t paid to evaluate the effects of the entire bill, but rather a small slice of it.” The statement only seems to reinforce critics’ view that the report is skewed precisely because it doesn’t take into account the totality of reform.
The last, and key, line from the statement: “If other provisions in health care reform are successful in lowering costs over the long term, those improvements would offset some of the impacts we have estimated.”
In other words, PwC is saying if reform’s cost containment measures work, their estimate could be wrong.
Tell Your Health Care Insurer It’s Time for Real Reform
Health insurance companies have turned to scare tactics and outright lies to fight health care reform. Seems they’re not satisfied with jacking up the cost of premiums, canceling policies when people get sick and denying treatment.
In fact, you can tell the health insurance companies you’re sick of their lies and that it’s time for real health care reform.
- Click here if a Blue Cross Blue Shield company provides your health insurance.
- Click here if UnitedHealthcare provides your health insurance.
- Click here if Aetna provides your health insurance.
- Click here if Humana provides your health insurance.
- Click here if CIGNA provides your health insurance.
- Click here if a different company provides your health insurance.
- Click here if you don’t have health insurance.
Today, Florida members of the Alliance for Retired Americans rallied in front of the West Palm Beach offices of Humana and called the scare tactics and lies ”unconscionable.”
