UnitedHealth subsidiary is Congress' "gold standard" for health care analysis?

[Minnesota Raindog]

For years, congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have regarded the Lewin Group, a Virginia-based research firm, as an unbiased, nonpartisan auditor of health care legislation. The company's website quotes Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Bob Bennett (R-Utah) calling the Lewin Group the "gold standard" for health care analysis.

Yet as the Washington Post reported Wednesday, few who have cited recent Lewin data, which suggests nearly 100 million Americans may quit their private insurance plans if offered a government-run alternative, mention that the company belongs to a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary.

More here:

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/07/lawmakers-who-called-lewin-gro.html

Michele Bachmann, who opposes a public health-care option because it would be cheaper than private insurance, has relied on the Lewin Group to make her argument against health-care reform:

http://michelebachmann.townhall.com/blog/g/c77914d6-3f5e-4a77-8f83-ec21607aa968

Bachmann:
Here’s the harsh reality of what’s facing our nation. Since the recession began, 6,000,000 jobs have been lost. Yet the Democrats’ health care plan includes hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax hikes on small businesses – our country’s job creation engine. And, despite claims their reform will reduce health care costs, CBO Director Elmendorf told Congress that the Democrats’ proposed reform will only INCREASE future federal spending on health care. Furthermore, an independent analysis by the non-partisan Lewin Group found that 114 million Americans would lose their current health insurance.


And still more on this sleazebag local company here:

http://mncampaignreport.com/diary/3639/media-failure-lewin-group-how-unitedhealth-heritage-found-are-shaping-health-care-debate

[dflprincess]

1. I'm sure Lewin Group is "non-partisan"

they probably own elected officials from both parties.

:banghead:

MN Raindog - if you haven't posted this in General Discussion, you really need to do so.

A tidbit from the link in the OP

he Lewin Group is part of Ingenix, a UnitedHealth subsidiary that was accused by the New York attorney general and the American Medical Association, a physician's group, of helping insurers shift medical expenses to consumers by distributing skewed data. Ingenix supplied its parent company and other insurers with data that allegedly understated the "usual and customary" doctor fees that insurers use to determine how much they will reimburse consumers for out-of-network care.

In January, UnitedHealth agreed to a $50 million settlement with the New York attorney general and a $350 million settlement with the AMA, covering conduct going back as far as 1994.

One thing I always liked about Elliot Spizter when he was New York's AG was that he always seemed to be suing UHG. Unfortunately, the Evil Empire (as some other local companies call it) seems to treat these suits as part of the cost of doing business. Just like Walmart breaking employment laws, they pay a fine in one state and continue the same crooked practices in other states.

Here's a link to UHG's 2008 political contributions:

http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/about/2009/pac_report123108.pdf