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.
The president complains about insurers’ profits; the 10 largest insurers earned $13 billion in 2007. And he also frequently refers to his mother’s dispute with her insurer as she lay dying of cancer, contending that the best way to keep companies “honest” is to force them to compete against a government-run plan.
For Health Insurers’ Lobbyist, Good Will Is Tested – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/health/policy/05insure.html?hp
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The insurance industry is getting blamed because of the very high cost of group insurance that is driving individuals and businesses out of the market. One of the reasons this is happenings is because insurers have failed to manage risks and contracts are no longer functioning according to their legal purpose. When will the industry step up to the plate and do something about reproductive abuses. The “Octuplet Mom” has taught us that privacy is a myth and that one persons decisions can cost the American public millions of dollars. We have also learned that some physicians believe that M.D. stands for medical deity. The “octuplet mom’s” physician gave no thought to his action on the lives of others. The Rule of Law, policy makers, physicians, and the insurance industry are seeing the people oppose this agenda because the insurance industry and the political machine are no longer worth of trust.
Much truth here. Professional ethics has and should continue to be of the highest concern among all legitimate health providers. Personal responsibility remains at the core of any meaningful health reform. Personal on the part of patients, physicians, other health providers, health facilities and their leadership, as well as health insurers, health plans and government health related services. Thanks for the comment, please keep reading and commenting.