Medical insurers poised to reap a healthy 'bonanza' - Lobbying efforts win health-care concessions

[Political Heretic]

Chicago Tribune

Health-care reform: Medical insurers poised to reap a healthy 'bonanza'
Lobbying efforts win health-care concessions
By Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger Tribune Newspapers
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!"

(snip)

"The insurers are going to do quite well," said Linda Blumberg, a health policy analyst at the non-partisan Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank. "They are going to have this very stable pool, they're going to have people getting subsidies to help them buy coverage and ... they will be paid the full costs of the benefits that they provide, plus their administrative costs."

UnitedHealth Group, the top U.S. insurer by sales, last month reported that revenue grew to $21.7 billion in the three months ended in June, compared with $20.3 billion from the year-ago period.

....another poster today asked about whether or not FDR should have vetoed Social Security because it didn't go far enough. The answer is no. However, that's only because the foundation was going in the right direction - it just did not go far enough. What the insurance companies are lobbying for is not a bill that simply "doesn't go far enough." They are lobbying for a bill that goes ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG WAY.

That's not a bill to vote for. Voting for it doesn't leave the door open to "improve" it in the future. Getting what we need in the future, if what the insurance lobbyists want happens, will require that we REPEAL or UNDO what they lobby to get passed and start all over again to head in the right direction. That will set us back a generation.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[NYC_SKP]

2. Irony: Industry using Town Bawlers to Influence Congress to Remove What What Would Benefit Them Most

The Public Option component:

One of the Democratic proposals that most concerned insurers was creation of a "public option" government-sponsored insurance plan. The industry launched a campaign on Capitol Hill, distributing arguments opposing the government option that often were grounded in a study published by The Lewin Group, a health policy consulting firm owned by UnitedHealth.

Opposition ramped up this month when the idea was attacked by critics at town hall meetings hosted by members of Congress who were home for the August recess. The attacks, supplemented by conservative critics on talk radio and other forums, drew national attention.

Leading insurers, including UnitedHealth, sent e-mails to their tens of thousands of employees around the country this summer, urging them to speak out.

Company "advocacy hot line" operations and sample letters and statements were made available. Some insurers supplemented the effort with local advertising, often designed to put pressure on specific members of Congress.

Arrrggghhh!!!

[WeCanWorkItOut]

3. Too many concessions to the big lobbies; labor unions too naive

I agree that we could take time to do things right,
to prevent the profiteering and harm that would result
from bills now being considered.

Some worry that if we don't do it now, we won't try again
for a decade. Not likely: insurance costs and
co-pays are rising too rapidly.

I also think we need to look harder at prevention.
"Fully insured with a mammogram every year," or whatever,
is not a substantial program for good preventive care.
We could do much better.

[Political Heretic]

4. Health care going the same way as economic bailout and politics as usual.

What, if anything, can be done to stop it...

[Romulox]

5. The banks already got their trillions. I GUARANTEE the insurance industry will get paid back, too.

[Political Heretic]

6. Kick. Update with new news, changes, things that show a different trajectory for legislation, etc.

I'm not posting this as an "in your face." But this is what was reported as of yesterday. What other news is there? Has there been any high profile congressional reaction against this article specifically OR the general claim that insurance companies are dancing for joy at the current trajectory of health care drafts?

Prosense where are you when I need you to talk me down. :)