America For Purchase

On May 12, 2009 leading U.S. health-care providers joined President Barack Obama in announcing their commitment to reduce sharply the growth of national health spending a move President Obama welcomed as an ‘unprecedented commitment” toward his goal of comprehensive coverage for Americans. President Obama said “This is a historic day, a watershed event”.
In a letter addressed to Mr. Obama, six industry leaders said: “We will do our part to achieve your administration’s goal of decreasing by 1.5 percentage points the annual health care spending growth rate, saving $2 trillion or more. This represents more than a 20 percent reduction in the projected rate of growth.” Health care now accounts for 17 percent of the overall U.S. economy and, with no change in law, the share will grow to 21 percent in 2019, administration officials said.

In reality, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, health insurance premiums have increased 119% since 1999, while workers’ earnings have increased by just 34%.  [Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 5/19/09]

As far back as March, health insurance industry representatives said they were willing to end the practice of charging higher premiums to sick people if Congress adopted a comprehensive plan requiring all Americans to carry insurance.

Now some in the industry appears to be doing a 180 turn about, reported by and may be viewed at Media Matters, The Huffington Post, Real Clear Politics and The Washington Post. 

Today, leading health insurance company BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, in an effort to preserve profits over people, is preparing three television ads based on myths, half truths and downright hypocrisy.  These ads make it clear that the company is more concerned with protecting their stranglehold on American patients than earnestly improving the country’s health care system.  The accusations lead one to ask: If BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina is so sure a public health care option would be a disaster, why are they so afraid to compete with it?

So BlueCross Blue Shield says one thing to the President and to Americans, then turns around and does just the opposite.

Somehow, this isn’t surprising. On Friday, May 15, 2009, the health insurance industry showed how un-serious they were about really controlling costs by backing away from the promise they made to President Obama. And now, the same industry is planning on making videos (which can be turned into ads) to try and kill the public health insurance option, the only real way to control costs by scaring the public about the dangers of “government-run health care,” and lying by omission about the fact that Obama’s health care plan wouldn’t force anyone to choose a public health care plan if they didn’t want one.  A typical fear tactic by profit-protecting Republicans.

President Obama: “Americans Must Have The Freedom To Keep Whatever Doctor And Health Care Plan They Have.” While announcing a partnership to lower health care costs, President Obama laid out his vision for health care reform.  He said, “I’m also committed to ensuring that whatever plan we design upholds three basic principles: First, the rising cost of health care must be brought down; second, Americans must have the freedom to keep whatever doctor and health care plan they have, or to choose a new doctor or health care plan if they want it; and third, all Americans must have quality, affordable health care.” [Obama Remarks via RealClearPolitics, 5/11/09]

BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina Says One Thing, Does Another

Says One Thing…

BlueCross BlueShield Of NC: “We Believe An Unchecked Government-Run Plan Would Lower Payment To Doctors.” Discussing an upcoming ad campaign against health care reform with the Washington Post, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina spokesman Lew Borman said: “We believe an unchecked government-run plan would lower payment to doctors and hospitals, forcing them to attempt to charge private insurers more and thus further eliminate private insurers’ ability to compete against the government.” [Washington Post, 5/18/09]

Does Another…

BlueCross BlueShield Of North Carolina Lost $128 Million Lawsuit For Fraudulently UNDERPAYING DOCTORS.  As reported by the Durham Herald-Sun, “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was among 23 Blues plans across the country that Friday announced a $128 million settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by 900,000 physicians regarding the insurers’ business practices. Numerous state medical societies, including the N.C. Medical Society, were involved in the lawsuit, which charged that North Carolina Blue Cross and other Blues plans harmed doctors with unfair business practices that denied and delayed payments for medical care… The complaint identified numerous Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans as defendants in an alleged scheme to defraud doctors in violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).” [Herald-Sun, 4/28/07]

As articulated by The Huffington Post up until now, the disgraced CEO Rick Scott was the only one up on the air against Obama’s health care reform plans. Not even Republicans had a coordinated message to attack health care, at least not until Frank Luntz came along. But now, it looks like the message carried by Harry and Louise might be returning, once again paid for by an insurance industry desperately looking for any way to protect their profits in the face of competition and reform.

More than 45 million uninsured Americans, have sharply raised pressure on health care providers to reform care and costs, but Congress, Max Baucus and even President Obama seems to be turning a deaf ear. 

A new elitist war is beginning to put profits over people, corporate health care option over health care for Americans, and Republican sponsored attacks on the one opportunity to give hardworking, taxpaying families a real chance at affordable health care options.

It’s a sad day in America when Profit Care is more important than Patient Care.

Filed under: American Injustice