Bill Clinton Thanks Health Insurance Industry For Their Healthcare "Reform" Work

[Better Believe It]

Viva Las Vegas: Clinton Thanks AHIP Lobby for Work on Health-Care Reform
By Jon Walker
June 11, 2010

Former President Bill Clinton showed up in Las Vegas this week to repeatedly thank AHIP and the for-profit health insurance companies for their role in the health-care reform battle.

I’m sure AHIP also thanked its keynote speaker with a substantial fee. This should put to rest the empty rhetoric in the health-care debate that the new law was going to take on the insurance industry. There’s no single-payer option, which would have eliminated the industry. It won’t face new competition from a public option or Medicare buy-in. The health insurance industry did not lose its exemption from federal anti-trust laws, and will not be under federal regulation or face a federal rate-review agency. Enforcement is left to weak and often overly friendly state regulators.

The law very closely resembles AHIP’s own health-care reform proposal. It has the government forcing millions of people to become the industry’s customers through an individual mandate, and gives hundreds of billions in federal subsidies without serious federal oversight.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/06/11/viva-las-vegas-clinton-thanks-ahip-lobby-for-work-on-health-care-reform/


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AHIP: Bill Clinton Thanks Health Insurers
By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today
June 10, 2010

LAS VEGAS -- Thousands of insurance industry representatives listened on Thursday to effusive "thank yous" for their support of healthcare reform from an unlikely source -- former U.S. president Bill Clinton.

Clinton gave the keynote address here at the annual meeting of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the powerful insurance lobby that has strongly opposed efforts at wholesale reform in the past.

The insurance industry's clear opposition to reform efforts during the Clinton administration made it all the more surprising when AHIP signaled in early 2009 that it would participate in healthcare reform talks this time around.

But if others didn't consider AHIP to have been a cheerleader for the reform bill that ultimately became law, Bill Clinton seemed to.

"I want to thank you for your support of the healthcare reform movement," Clinton said numerous times during his lengthy, largely economics-oriented speech, which dealt with everything from the BP oil spill, to a new bus system in Lima, Peru.

"You deserve credit for taking a different position on this healthcare reform debate than the last one," he said.

Clinton also defended AHIP members against the criticism they received during the debate.

"Americans tend to blame insurance companies for things that are really probably providers' faults," he said.

Read the full article at:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/tbprint.cfm?tbid=20610

[Hawkowl]

1. Piece of shit.............. nt

[monmouth]

2. +1,000,000. I'm totally disgusted..n/t

[Vinca]

3. Wow. The guy gets a few bucks in his pocket and now he's all right wing.

Big insurance is still raising rates and making life a living hell for many. There's nothing warm and fuzzy here. I'm really starting to dislike Bill Clinton.

[NightWatcher]

8. "now" and "starting to dislike"?

Billy was the best republican prez we've have

[vi5]

4. Why wouldn't he thank them?

The Dems got to put a "win" in their column by saying they "reformed" healthcare, but not so much that the healthcare industry will completely stop lining Dem pockets with that sweet, sweet cash that is their highest priority.

That couldn't have been done without the help of the industry.

[nashville_brook]

5. such a hero of the people.

not.

[mdmc]

6. I still lack medical treatment and am fully insured

thanks big dog

[slipslidingaway]

7. knr - 2009 annual AHIP meeting ...

Great job keeping a not for profit system from the discussions.

:sarcasm:

http://healthplans.hcpro.com/content.cfm?content_id=234081&topic=WS_HLM2_HEP

Ex-Governors Spar Over The Role of a Public Plan at AHIP Convention

"Former governors Howard Dean, MD (Vermont), Jeb Bush (Florida), and John Kitzhaber, MD (Oregon), agreed that the current system is functionally flawed. And they agreed that health plans, employers, and consumers need to take more responsibility for their own healthcare...



Health Insurance Lobby Group Protested by Doctors, Nurses, and Patients
by Doug Porter on June 4, 2009

http://obrag.org/?p=8180

"...Over 3500 representatives from the insurance industry have been attending seminars, visiting the over 200 trade show exhibitors, and hearing from big name speakers like former Governors Jeb Bush (FL), Howard Dean (VT) and John Kithaber (OR) along with authors Michael Pollin (In Defense of Food) and Richard Thaler (Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness). Closing out the conference will be Tom Daschle, Former Senate Majority and Minority Leader.

A quick visit to AHIP’s web site shows that they are enthusiastically involved in “Health Care Reform”. You can read about all their proposals containing all the right rhetoric about controlling health care costs and expanded coverage for all Americans.

So, why was the street in front of the San Diego Convention Center lined with noisy protesters?

Two words sum it all up: “Single Payer”..."

[Scuba]

9. Bill Clinton thanked mass murderers today...

...instead of demonizing them as they deserve.

[Desertrose]

10. Of course he would. n/t

[mdmc]

11. //