AP starts pumping the Wurlitzer: Dems scramble after warning from health insurers

[high density]

Dems scramble after warning from health insurers

Insurance companies aren't playing nice any more. Their dire message that health care legislation will drive up premiums for people who already have coverage comes as a warning shot at a crucial point in the debate, and threatens President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

Democrats and their allies scrambled on Monday to knock down a new industry-funded study forecasting that Senate legislation, over time, will add thousands of dollars to the cost of a typical policy. "Distorted and flawed," said White House spokeswoman Linda Douglass. "Fundamentally dishonest," said AARP's senior policy strategist, John Rother. "A hatchet job," said a spokesman for Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.

But the health insurance industry's top lobbyist in Washington stood her ground. In a call with reporters, Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, pointedly refused to rule out attack ads on TV featuring the study, though she said she believed the industry's concerns could be amicably addressed.
...
"We've got ourselves a real health care shooting war now," said Robert Laszewski, a former health insurance executive turned consultant. "The industry has come to the conclusion that the way things are going in Congress, we'll have a ... formula that will be disastrous for their business, so they can't stand on the sidelines any longer."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091012/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul_insurers

Aren't playing nice any more? When were the insurance companies playing nice?

I love how AP also feels that a fast, factual, decisive response is considered "scrambling."

[Gman2]

1. How bout we patrol outside their headquarters with assualt rifles?

[ej510]

4. SINGLE PAYER!!!!!!!!!!

Dems do not have the balls to do it though.

[iamjoy]

5. With Signs

should we carry signs that talk about watering the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots and tyrants or should signs say that the insurance company money tree is already watered with the blood of innocent Americans?

[Gman2]

11. NOPE, DEATH PANEL, with a bullet

[iamjoy]

2. Blackmail - Plain and Simple

the insurance companies are threatening us that if we don't let them continue to engage in unethical and discriminatory practices that lead to the pre-mature deaths of thousands of Americans they will be sure to find other ways to make sure Americans can't get or access care.

[annabanana]

3. Jeez.. I knew that AP had gone to the dark side, but I didn't realize

that is was this far gone

[SpiralHawk]

7. AP sold out to Republicon corporate puppetmasters long ago

They gots no integrity, no honor, no cred.

AP has devolved to beccome the Pravda of corporate wankerdom, no longer serving the public interest.

[AndyA]

6. Wait a minute. Didn't the health insurers already state that premiums would be going up?

I seem to even remember hearing a percentage, and it was a big one. They've already said premiums would be increasing for everyone next year, so this really isn't news. No doubt they'll try to spin it like everyone would be getting a cut otherwise, and we know that's not true.

More competition as in a public option will FORCE premiums down, because they'll need to be more COMPETITIVE to stay in business. Isn't that how it's supposed to work, GOP? :shrug:

[high density]

8. Yes their study shows that premiums will go up no matter what congress does

And they put out the bogeyman that the Baucus bill (which of course does not include a public option for pricing sanity) will make the cost go up even more sharply when the insurers can't throw people off the rolls when they get sick.

[yourout]

9. I say call their bluff........Medicare4all.

Anyone who wants in can buy in and then see what they do.

If they want to stay in business then they will compete.

[Gman2]

10. Youre right, I think they are gonna break the camel back, and we are gonna stuff them thru the eye

of a needle.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. health insurance companies should be shut down

[msongs]

13. Gee will dems fight back? besides Rep. Grayson that is? stay tuned..... nt

[vaberella]

15. They have. Quite a bit. n/t

[vaberella]

14. DNC---we'll send funding. You need to do adverts calling these fools out. n/t

[TomCADem]

16. The Insurers Just Gave Some Nice Ammo For A Public Option

If the insurers are threatening to retaliate by raising premiums, which they are going to do so anyways, then doesn't that stengthen the argument for a strong public option?

[Garam_Masala]

17. I think the insurers are claiming premiums will go even higher with

any kind of health reform! They are fighting back dirty!

[TomCADem]

18. Well, This Does Assumes That Insurance Companies Could Raise Rates Even Higher...

But have been choosing not to do so out of the goodness of their heart. The fact of the matter is that insurance companies are required to secure to highest premiums they can to please their shareholders. If insurance could get away with raising premiums even higher, they would have done so anyways. The report a BS, since it rests upon the assumption that the insurance companies have somehow been refraining from raising their premiums, but are "forced" to do so by reform. Really? Out of the goodness of their heart they have refrained from raising rates?