Posted on 08/05/2009 5:03:41 AM PDT by reaganaut1
For the insurance industry, long an opponent of health care reform, it was a striking change: with a new administration coming to Washington, insurers agreed to abandon some of their most controversial practices, like denying coverage to applicants with pre-existing medical conditions.
One of the main architects of the friendly approach, Karen M. Ignagni, the industry’s chief lobbyist, personally pledged to President Obama that insurers would not stand in the way of a sweeping overhaul this time.
For a while, it seemed to be working — until recently, when the insurance industry re-emerged as Washington’s favorite target. “Villains,” Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, called health insurers. And Mr. Obama derided the industry for pocketing “windfall profits.”
Taken aback, Ms. Ignagni, the 55-year-old chief executive of the trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans, wondered on Tuesday why insurers were being singled out when, in her view, they had accepted that change was necessary.
“Attacking our community will not help get anyone covered,” she said. While taking a conciliatory tack and insisting that insurers remain committed to reform, she says they will aggressively counter the criticism. “What we have to do is make sure we correct the record,” she said.
As the debate heats up, Ms. Ignagni is facing her toughest test. After winning concessions, and consensus, from many insurance companies with competing interests, she now has to keep them together as the assault on the industry picks up. Rather than being cut out of the conversation, her strategy has been to push for changes her members can live with, in hopes of fending off too much government interference.
Despite her efforts to ally the industry with Washington, however, it risks being thrust in the same role it played 15 years ago when it helped derail reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
If they had any sense the insurers would do a “tell all” about all the back door deals. arm twisting they were subjected to by the White House. All the schemes the White House invited them to participate in. All the sweeteners dangled to get them to stay quiet just long enough to fool the “folks” into supporting the Health Care Takeover Plan.
Why is everyone so afraid to take on this White House? Yeah, they play rough. Rougher than most, Chicago style. But they’ve also shown an extreme glass jaw. They don’t take a punch well.
I’d love to see how long they’d be standing if simultaneous blows were coming in from: insurance companies, angry voters, doctors/hospitals, senior citizens, governors, Republicans in Congress, seniors, et al. No one constituency will defeat them. But that combination would have a good shot at leaving them reeling.
Why do the smartest people in the room, always get fooled? How can a lobbyist, who knows politicians very well, accept such a deal? Obama's plan is to eliminate private insurers. Why didn't Karen Ignagni know this? This is her darn business and she thinks she can finesse a "deal" with these people? This is like Jews making deals with the Nazis during the Holocaust. Kill me last. That's the offer.
And this lobbyist not only betrayed the interests of the industry she works for, but she's betraying the interests of the customers of her industry. I bet she votes Democrat.
Karen, babe, how do you like your friends now, you windfall-profiting villan. DS.
What was Lenin’s quote:
The capitalists will sell us the rope which we will hang them with.
Apparently the health care companies haven’t learned about his past and are willing to trust his future.
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