Health Insurers to Wage All-Out War Against Obama (WP)

[jeffbr]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/13/AR2009101303472.html?hpid=topnews

Health Insurers Emerge as Obama's Top Foe in Reform Effort
By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Now they have an enemy. For months, President Obama and his administration waged their fight for a health-care overhaul without a clear opponent, even courting the industry executives and interest groups that helped kill reform efforts 15 years ago. But attacks on the leading Democratic reform plan this week by the insurance lobby left little doubt that two of the most powerful institutions involved in the debate -- the White House and America's insurance companies -- have abandoned any real hope of forging a compromise. What was a tenuous truce has turned quickly into an all-out battle, with both sides ratcheting up the hostilities and their rhetoric.

As the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved a broad, 10-year, $829 billion bill to remake the nation's health-care system, Obama's top advisers and the insurers moved into a new, more intense stage of conflict. "The insurance industry has decided to lead the charge against health reform, and everyone recognizes their motives: profits," said White House deputy communications director Dan Pfeiffer. "We are going to make sure they can't sink this effort at the last minute."

...The insurers showed no sign of being chastened. America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry trade group, opened a fresh line of attack with a multistate advertising campaign warning that senior citizens enrolled in private Medicare plans could lose benefits under the legislation. "Is it right to ask 10 million seniors on Medicare Advantage for more than their fair share?" the television spot asks. "Congress is proposing $100 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says many seniors will see cuts in benefits."

The Finance bill would reduce spending on the plans AHIP cites by $113 billion over the next decade, which could mean reduced insurer profits. "We want to begin to build an awareness of the potential implications to seniors," said AHIP President Karen Ignagni. She refused to say how much money would be spent on the commercials airing in six states, but one advertising analyst said the industry has enough cash to pose a serious threat. "They can spend whatever they feel they need to influence this," said Evan Tracey, president of the Campaign Media Analysis Group. "Seniors are a very important group politically." The insurance sector and health-maintenance organizations spent more than $116 million on lobbying over the first six months of this year...

[aquart]

1. Against Obama? AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

Obama has all the medical insurance he and his family will ever need. The rest of us? Not so much.

[Skittles]

3. it's Obama AND the American people

yes INDEED

[Aviation Pro]

2. This will end badly for the insurance industry....

...and will probably result in a single payer program in the future.

[spin]

4. Possibly, but the insurance companies will make a fortune...

by screwing us until the new law takes effect in 2013.

The insurance company executives and CEOs will be living in even larger mansions and driving far more expensive cars by denying participants of their programs coverage. Rates will skyrocket in the upcoming four years.

Heathcare insurance companies are parasites who belly up to the bar to drink our blood.

[QC]

5. Looks like catering to the insurance companies didn't do any good after all.

Single payer now!

[tridim]

6. They have threats, but do they have any other weapons?

They can raise rates so high that nobody can afford their product, but that's not a good business move. They'd go out of business in a week.

I think they're screwed and they know it.

[DCKit]

9. That's why they're screaming "Make it mandatory! Or else."

Or else, what? They've made it abundantly clear they intend to double their rates again within a decade, and now they're demanding hostages.

Medicare 4 All

[DBoon]

7. Is there anything more hated than insurance companies?

[Mari333]

10. The banks, and multinational corporations. nt

[Dogmudgeon]

8. In one day, the Republican Party just lost the 2010 election

The only hope for the GOP was to duck-and-cover next year and let the peoples' various gripes against Obama knock off some Democrats.

Now, there will be a big, evil, hated foe -- inextricably linked to the Republicans -- to face down.

It will also be a good time "to primary" the intractable Blue Dogs out of power.

I think it is now likely that we will pick up several seats in the House and one or two more Senators.

And they did all that in the space of a few hours. Wait until they figure out what they just did.

--d!