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Health Industry to Spend "Whatever It Takes"
The fight for patients' rights in the House of Representatives is
> heating up. As we've told you, there is a new bipartisan compromise bill
> gaining support in the House, which is putting pressure on the House
> Republican leaders to allow a vote on patient protections. And, according to
> an article in National Journal's Congress Daily (by Matthew Morrissey), the
> health insurers, health plans, and business groups are going all out to stop
> it.
>
> The industry groups are readying a big advertising campaign targeted at the
> states and House districts where members have cosponsored, the bill or may be
> sympathetic. Health Insurance Association of America President Charles (Chip)
> Kahn said cosponsors of the bipartisan Norwood-Dingell bill "will rue the day
> they decided to endorse it." During the next two weeks, the HIAA will spend
> $250,000 airing a 60-second radio ad that will run in Buffalo, Elmira, and New
> York City, N.Y.; Miami and West Palm Beach, Fla.; Chattanooga and Knoxville,
> Tenn.; Philadelphia; and Casper, Wyo., where GOP Rep. Barbara Cubin is a
> cosponsor of the Norwood-Dingell plan.
>
> Kahn is quoted in the article as saying that this is just the beginning of
> their efforts. "This issue concerns us more than anything since '93-94," he
> said, referring to the healthcare proposal President Clinton pushed in his
> first term. The HIAA radio ad says: "Some Republicans have actually been
> hobnobbing with President Clinton and his biggest financial backers -
> America's trial lawyers - in support of legislation they're calling `The
> Patients Bill of Rights.' But what it really does is give government
> bureaucrats the freedom to create more regulations and more red tape - and
> give trial lawyers more opportunities to cash in on all kinds of frivolous
> lawsuits." The ads then name the local House member they are targeting, and
> ask listeners to call to voice their opposition.
>
> Kahn said health plans and business groups opposing managed care bills will
> spend more than $1 million "working toward a cacophony" of criticism of the
> bills. There will be TV advertising and "heavy radio" during the last two
> weeks of the congressional break. "The ads are pretty tough, and they are
> intended to provoke a backlash," one industry spokesperson said. "We're going
> after members who are soft, but getable."
>
> The American Association of Health Plans - the HMO trade association - will
> launch a television ad campaign aimed at 60 House members. The ads position
> the managed care debate as one of "trial lawyers" versus "working Americans."
> An AAHP official said, "We're going to spend whatever it takes."
[....]
> __________________________
> Jeff Kirsch, Field Director
> Families USA
Email: jkirsch@familiesusa.org
> Web: www.familiesusa.org
Rights
Sender: owner-familiesusamc@list1.channel1.com
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Reply-To: "Jeff Kirsch" <jkirsch@familiesusa.org>
Friends: The fight for patients' rights in the House of Representatives is
heating up. As we've told you, there is a new bipartisan compromise bill
gaining support in the House, which is putting pressure on the House
Republican leaders to allow a vote on patient protections. And, according to
an article in National Journal's Congress Daily (by Matthew Morrissey), the
health insurers, health plans, and business groups are going all out to stop
it.
The industry groups are readying a big advertising campaign targeted at the
states and House districts where members have cosponsored, the bill or may be
sympathetic. Health Insurance Association of America President Charles (Chip)
Kahn said cosponsors of the bipartisan Norwood-Dingell bill "will rue the day
they decided to endorse it." During the next two weeks, the HIAA will spend
$250,000 airing a 60-second radio ad that will run in Buffalo, Elmira, and New
York City, N.Y.; Miami and West Palm Beach, Fla.; Chattanooga and Knoxville,
Tenn.; Philadelphia; and Casper, Wyo., where GOP Rep. Barbara Cubin is a
cosponsor of the Norwood-Dingell plan.
Kahn is quoted in the article as saying that this is just the beginning of
their efforts. "This issue concerns us more than anything since '93-94," he
said, referring to the healthcare proposal President Clinton pushed in his
first term. The HIAA radio ad says: "Some Republicans have actually been
hobnobbing with President Clinton and his biggest financial backers -
America's trial lawyers - in support of legislation they're calling `The
Patients Bill of Rights.' But what it really does is give government
bureaucrats the freedom to create more regulations and more red tape - and
give trial lawyers more opportunities to cash in on all kinds of frivolous
lawsuits." The ads then name the local House member they are targeting, and
ask listeners to call to voice their opposition.
Kahn said health plans and business groups opposing managed care bills will
spend more than $1 million "working toward a cacophony" of criticism of the
bills. There will be TV advertising and "heavy radio" during the last two
weeks of the congressional break. "The ads are pretty tough, and they are
intended to provoke a backlash," one industry spokesperson said. "We're going
after members who are soft, but getable."
The American Association of Health Plans - the HMO trade association - will
launch a television ad campaign aimed at 60 House members. The ads position
the managed care debate as one of "trial lawyers" versus "working Americans."
An AAHP official said, "We're going to spend whatever it takes."
We don't have the money, but we have the public on our side. We have a
genuinely bi-partisan bill that can pass. We have a chance here to show that
money doesn't always have to call the tune in Congress. Can we get the call
FOR patients' protections heard in congressional offices?
__________________________
Jeff Kirsch, Field Director
Families USA
1334 G St., NW
Washington, DC 20005
Ph: 202/628-3030
Fx: 202/347-2417
Email: jkirsch@familiesusa.org
Web: www.familiesusa.org