New Ad Blasts Insurance Companies, Renews Push For Public Option

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/uncategorized/new-labor-ad-blasts-insurance-companies-renews-push-for-public-option/

New Ad Blasts Insurance Companies, Renews Push For Public Option


There’s a growing sense in Washington that the insurance industry inadvertently breathed new life into the public option by releasing that report yesterday predicting reform would hike premiums, creating a new argument in favor of creating competition for the industry in the form of a public plan.

Now the labor-backed White House ally Americans United For Change is going up with a new ad timed to capitalize on that sense to renew the push for the public option:

Ad at link~

The ad, which is airing on D.C. cable in an effort to target lawmakers, concludes: “When health insurance executives fix the game, they get rich. Time for competition when it comes to health insurance. We need the choice of a public health insurance plan.”

The spot is designed to amplify the message — perhaps best delivered yesterday by Congressman Anthony Weiner — that the insurance compannies made one of the strongest cases yet for a public option by essentially vowing to raise rates. The report also makes it easier for reform proponents to argue that the industry, which had been making nice with the White House, is a bad-faith actor not to be trusted.

It seems like a potentially big tactical error by the insurance industry, and it’ll be interesting to watch how proponents of the public option capitalize on it to pressure the White House and Senate leadership to put a public plan — or some form of it — into the final Senate bill that’s being negotiated this week. The public option lives!

[ixion]

1. I really hope that the reform puts insurance companies in their place

they've had far too much power and control for far too long, in my opinion.

[midnight]

2. Yes, Yes, give us some choices so that the insurance panels can't make all the decsions.

"When health insurance executives fix the game, they get rich. Time for competition when it comes to health insurance. We need the choice of a public health insurance plan.”

[zanne]

3. I've seen plenty of anti-reform ads...

But not ONE pro-reform ad. What the hell is wrong with us?

[autorank]

4. Well, that's #5 right here.

:hi:

[Bandit]

5. The Ad was designed to scare just a couple of votes

Republicans/Conservatives scare very easy so it was aimed at just th0ose few Conservatives that are scared of their own shadow. It will be effective...

[DCKit]

6. It seemed more of a suicide threat to me.

"Give us the mandatory purchase, or we'll kill ourselves."

They want 300 million hostages, to do with as they please: rising rates coupled with denials and they could pay Wall St. salaries to the cleaning crew.