Health insurers are using every tool at their disposal to pressure senators into opposing a public option.
The latest example: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has sent a mailer -- obtained by TPMmuckraker -- to voters in the state, warning that a public option will lead to "a single payer system," and urging recipients to send a postcard to Sen. Kay Hagan that asks her to "oppose government-run health insurance."
You can see the mailer here. It reads:
Public option?
Government Cooperatives?
Community plan?
Single payer?No matter what you call it, if the federal government intervenes in the private health insurance market, it's a slippery slope to a single payer system.
Who wants that?
The enclosed postcard to Hagan reads:
Senator Hagan,Please oppose government-run health insurance. We can meet our health care challenges without the government unfairly competing with the private sector. Tell Senate leaders that North Carolina doesn't need government-run insurance.
Lew Borman, a spokesman for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, told TPMmuckraker: "It was important for us that North Carolinians understand the impact of what's being proposed: government-run health care." Borman declined to say how many people had received the mailer, and how much the company is spending on the campaign.
Borman added that the mailer was "targeted to a particular cut of the population that would be impacted" by reform, but declined to elaborate further. He said the company made a decision to target ordinary voters, rather than using its customer lists. Humana Inc. was investigated by the government last month for enlisting its beneficiaries to lobby against reform.
Borman said the campaign is targeting Hagan, a Democrat, alone, because she hasn't yet said definitively whether she'll support a public option. North Carolina's other senator, Republican Richard Burr, has long been clear in his opposition to the idea.
Hagan's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the impact of the campaign on her position.
Late Update: It's worth noting that Hagan worked to craft, and voted for, the Senate Health, Labor, and Education committee's version of the public option -- which is stronger than what will be in the Senate bill. So it's far from clear whether BCBS's effort has a chance of succeeding.

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ahaskell
October 26, 2009 12:59 PM
They have also violated the "do not call act" by making a direct phone call to my home in NC. I am an unaffiliated ( progressive/ liberal) senior on social security in the western part of the state.
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FlownOver
October 26, 2009 1:59 PM in reply to ahaskell
Sadly, the Do Not Call law has an exception for nonprofits and political calls.
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Docb
October 26, 2009 4:40 PM in reply to FlownOver
There is a whole article on Rueters about waste in Healthcare....This proves Obama was right all along but it will push the Dems to pass this quick to avoid fallout from the HC donor dollars...Other wise the bill will get tighter..
PASS THIS ALONG>>>>
http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSTRE59P0L320091026
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TheraP
November 28, 2009 10:15 AM in reply to Docb
In case you missed it, I posted Doxy's response to her BC-BS mailer here:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/therap/2009/10/wheres-the-pony.php
And the next blog explains her passionate fight for health care for all:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/therap/2009/10/the-reason-why.php
Good to see that those fighting back are now seeing their efforts yielding fruit.
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TheraP
November 28, 2009 10:15 AM in reply to TheraP
Sorry, I meant to post that as a comment below.
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DA in LA
October 26, 2009 1:01 PM
Some people are responding appropriately.
http://bit.ly/4qAMMM
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TheraP
November 28, 2009 10:17 AM in reply to DA in LA
See above for someone's blog on that very mailer. I wrote about it last month at TPM Cafe. (There's a link just above.)
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Barry Ragin
October 26, 2009 1:09 PM
Yep.
http://cronereport.com/2009/10/24/we-be-jammin/
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Clavis
October 26, 2009 1:28 PM
Why shouldn't corporations violate all the rules and laws they can, when Republicans will eagerly block all regulation and enforcement and punishment if they can?
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xargaw
October 26, 2009 2:02 PM
Just the fact that it comes from an insurance company should influence every citizen to take the opposing point of view. Who is their right mind with or without insurance would side with the insurance companies after what they have pulled on Americans?
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The Decider
October 26, 2009 4:15 PM
The company has a point. Competition can lead to one group winning the competition and that leads to the others not being able to compete and that leads to a monopoly without competition, so we should not have government competition.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
October 26, 2009 8:47 PM
The CEO of this alleged nonprofit pays himself four million bucks a year for the incredibly difficult job of breaking even with a monopoly. Greater than 50% market share with the half of the rest of the market taken up by one other company. Oh so difficult to break even in such a cutthroat market, dontcha see. So to make ends meet, they bought themselves a little no-bid to run the state employee health plan with a few well placed contributions.
Never heard of a hog that voluntarily pulled its snout out of the trough before it was empty and when you try to make them, it tends to elicit indignant squealing and threats.
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Jay
October 27, 2009 12:49 AM
We might be able to get some understanding of her thoughts in reform by looking at her campaign materials against Elizabeth Dole
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/13895511
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BRD
October 27, 2009 8:35 AM
"... it's a slippery slope to a single payer system.
Who wants that?"
I do for one. As slippery as possible please.
Another part of the mailing:
"Tell Senator Hagan that we don't need government-run health insurance. We already have a system that covers 160 million Americans."
And what is the population of the US again?
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TheraP
November 28, 2009 10:18 AM in reply to BRD
Er... that would be more like "makes indentured servants of 160 million" in my book!
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