Health-care reform: Medical insurers poised to reap a healthy 'bonanza'

[tj2001]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon-insurers-0824-aug24,0,3544795.story

WASHINGTON - -- Demonized by Democrats and ostensibly threatened with more government regulation, medical insurance executives have lobbied so successfully in Washington and the home districts of key lawmakers that they are poised to reap a financial windfall from the health-care overhaul.

"It's a bonanza," said Robert Laszewski, who tracks reform legislation as president of consulting firm Health Policy and Strategy Associates.

Some insurance company leaders profess concern about the unpredictable course of President Barack Obama's massive health-care initiative and point to concessions granted. But Laszewski said the industry's reaction to early negotiations boils down to one word: "Hallelujah!"

Like major drug companies and other health-care stakeholders, the insurers lobbied early and hard for concessions from Democrats eager to pass landmark legislation that would provide medical coverage for all citizens.

The half-dozen leading proposals in Congress would require all citizens to have health insurance, guaranteeing insurers tens of millions of new customers, many of whom would get government subsidies to help pay the companies' premiums. At the same time, these proposals would limit government's potential role as competitor and regulator.

[Hello_Kitty]

1. Awesome. eom

[timeforpeace]

2. Makes you wonder if they weren't the intended beneficiaries all along, huh?

Follow the money, in this case, the political contributions.

[lovepg]

3. Yeah we are gonna be forced to buy health insurance from these corporate killers.

Every time they deny care to increase their profits someone could die. Many do every year.
Now its going to be law that you must support them.

[Hidden Stillness]

4. ...And it is All Being Arranged by Obama's "Architect" Daschle

I expect only commercial insurance, pharmaceutical corporations, and for-profit hospitals--and of course, lobbyists--to profit by all of this; they were the only ones in on the deal, and the only ones even affected. There is a really great, and completely disgusting, article recently by the New York Times, online at www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/health/policy/23daschle.html and by David D. Kirkpatrick, on Tom Daschle, "Daschle Has Ear of White House and Health Industry."

Daschle, who had to give up a chance at the Health and Human Services Secretary job because of multiple lobbying conflicts of interest, and tax cheating, is a highly paid lobbyist for several insurance, pharmaceutical, hospital, and other health industry clients. Daschle was also introduced at an industry conference as "the architect of President Obama's health care plan." Daschle is helping to kill the public option/Medicare expansion, and is the inventor of that ridiculous, incoherent, commercial "co-op" scheme. After Obama pledged not to have any lobbyists influencing policy, here is "Multiple Conflicts of Interest" Daschle, the corporate lobbyist for many clients, writing the proposals. Sickening.