Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Health care lobbying: Consider the source

The Issue: North Carolina Blue Cross/Blue Shield has crossed the line in asking residents to help oppose health reform it doesn’t like

Our position: Congress should repudiate pressure from lobbyists who cross the boundaries of legal and ethical correctness


In what’s been billed by President Obama as “the most significant social legislation in decades,” the U.S. Senate is close to voting on health care reform that could broaden coverage and lower prices for millions of Americans.

Either the measure will pass with a “robust” public option, a watered-down public option or none at all.

It also could fail to pass, period. Just as in 1994, when afterward Democrats were repudiated at the polls.

In short, it could significantly change the face of health care or it could remain status quo.

One thing we know, North Carolina’s largest insurer, N.C. Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has staked out its position. The nonprofit company, which covers more state employees and private businesses than any other in the state, has waged an all-out war against the public option, as it did in 1994.

“North Carolina needs health care reform — done right,” BCBS CEO Bob Greczyn said following President Obama’s visit to the Tar Heel state in July to promote reform. “We don’t believe a government-run plan is necessary to achieve the reform Americans need.”

We accept that as a position, even though we disagree. However, we don’t approve of the tactics that have followed.

Two months ago, BCBS used “robocalls” to oppose the public option, and then last month sent out a mass mailing asking recipients to send enclosed pre-paid postcards to Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan asking her to oppose “government-run health insurance.”

No postcards were needed for Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr because he already opposes a public option.

“Tell Senator Hagan we don’t need government-run health insurance,” the mailing states. “We already have a system that covers 160 million Americans. Let’s build on that — without the federal government unfairly competing with the private sector.”

Believe it or not, this politicking was done at the same time BCBS was notifying its customers of double-digit rate increases.

Although technically a nonprofit, BCBS carries a lot of weight. According to published reports, it has a 72.5 percent market share in the state and controls more than 96 percent of individual policy coverage. With $158 million in net income in 2008, it has 3.7 million members and processed more than $10.7 million in medical claims last year.

The insurer’s appalling lobbying effort has caught the attention of some 20 state lawmakers, who recently asked Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and Attorney General Roy Cooper to investigate the robocalls and mailers.

For its part, BCBS spokesman Lew Borman responded, “We felt like we have the right and responsibility to be involved in the debate.”

We believe BCBS has a right to be involved in the debate, but not in lobbying North Carolina residents to do its bidding. It’s an obvious conflict of interest and borders on blackmail. What’s to stop BCBS from retaliating against anyone it finds out has opposed its position?

What’s clear from all this is that BCBS has a large stake in the outcome of health care reform. Also clear is the future of health care for all North Carolinians, who have an even larger stake.

Big money and power may wield the biggest stick now, but the voices of the people will carry more weight at the polls come election time.

Source:dailyadvance.com/

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