Sebelius and insurance rep clash, ever so politely, at industry meeting
The nation’s top health insurance spokeswoman and President Obama’s top health-care official crossed swords, if ever so politely, in remarks to a gathering of industry representatives in Washington on Wednesday.
Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, preempted remarks by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius – in which she called on the industry to stop opposing the president’s reform plan – by saying that the industry, in fact, fully supports “massive change.”
Sebelius, speaking moments later to a ballroom of several hundred insurance company employees at the Ritz-Carlton, called on them to stop “spending energy attacking the parts of the plan you don’t like.”
“I am hopeful that you will take the assets that you have and influence and the bully pulpit that you have and use it to start calling for comprehensive health reform to pass,” Sebelius said.
“We are on the page and fully committed,” Ignagni had said moments earlier, as Sebelius sat waiting to speak.
Both Ignagni and Sebelius spoke in measured tones and showed no agitation, but their showdown comes as the health-care debate is coming to a head and sparking angry attacks on insurers by the White House and its allies in the Democratic party and the labor movement, which organized a protest of over 1,000 people Tuesday outside AHIP’s annual meeting.
Sebelius said she had not come to “to vilify hardworking employees of insurance companies … or blame insurance companies for all the problems in the health care system.”
Others in the White House did take shots at the industry.
The president’s communications adviser, Dan Pfeiffer, wrote on the White House blog Tuesday night that “right after the insurance companies announced huge rate increases for families across the country, they gathered at the luxurious Ritz Carlton in Washington to announce that they are spending $1 million on ads to defeat health reform.”
“That money could probably be better spent keeping rates down for customers,” Pfeiffer wrote.
The insurers mounted their own rapid-response new media effort.
As Sebelius rose to speak, AHIP’s press shop sent out the first of three fact-check e-mails to reporters, taking issue with Sebelius’s assertion that insufficient competition exists in the industry, with the charge that insurers are arbitrarily raising premiums, and pointing out that insurance rates have risen more slowly than in other sectors of the health-care industry, such as hospitals.
Ignagni said insurers are “not committed to incremental proposals” and “have not proposed incremental proposals.”
“Everybody here would want you to know and want the nation to know that our members are very concerned about premiums,” she said.
Sebelius asked the industry to increase transparency about its rate hike proposals as well as the reasons for them.
Ignagni said afterward that transparency is “the only way we’re going to get at the rising costs of health care.” But that remark was clearly aimed at health-care providers as much as it was insurers. Ignani promised to “fast-track” work on pricing transparency.
*Correction: Ignagni’s last name was misspelled in the original version of this story.
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A single payer system is a disaster in every country that has one. This abomination of a bill just gets us one step closer. The current system is fine, remove some of the regulation and let the free market bring cost down.
Yes. Brilliant idea. Worked so well for the Banking industry. Where do you Republicans get the idea that deregulation fixes things? Do you have any data to back that up or is it just pure FoxNews fundamentalism?
Actually it was Jimmy Carter (then Clinton) who put in motion the banking meltdown. GWB actually tried to install some regulations (although it was a pathetically weak effort) and was shouted down by Liberals like Barney Frank (who was actually having sex with one of the execs from Fannie Mae he was regulating). How’s that for facts?
Single payer works well for some things, and horribly for others. One thing that no one can argue is that it’s incredibly expensive, even in countries a fraction of our size. England is in worse shape than we are financially at the moment (although I’m sure that’s George Bush’s fault too).
Ohhh,,,those big, bad bogeymen named Fox News and republicans. Are you scared of the dark too? How about you ask your fellow democrats why they didn’t regulate the banking industry? Ask Barney Frank….better yet, go to YouTube and watch numerous videos of him stating, in his own words, his objections to regulating Freddie and Fannnie.
This is all just political theater intended to make it appear that the Democrats are standing up to the health insurance co’s when in fact they are not.
The Democrast bill is a corrupt handout to the health insurance industry and it FORCES-MANDATES the every American buy insurance from these companies for their ENTIRE LIVES.
The Democrats bill is a recipe for corruption.
Good point. Establishing a goverenment run single-payer system would have cut insurance companies out of health care and forced them to go find honest work somewhere else. Too bad the Obama administration is so beholden to the insurance lobby.
Flips… thanks for your reply.
I am a registered Independent. I do not speak for other Independents but in talking with them one thing is clear.
We want a government that is capable and willing to solve problems. We want REAL solutions not fake, corrupt giveaways to campaign contributors. Both parties have been corrupted by campaign money, power and influence… equally.
It’s time for the American people to take back our government. We need to stop rewarding corruption by re-electing the same corrupt politicians over and over again.
“We want a government that is capable and willing to solve problems.”
If you want the government to solve your problems, then you’re not an Independent. The correct political identification would be Liberal.
Bingo!! Good answer!!
No where in my comment did I say that I wanted the government to solve “my” problems. So don’t put words in my mouth.
We have a health care problem in this country. Every time someone without insurance gets sick or injured they end up in an emergency room at a hospital. The American people pay for that care in the emergency room. All of us pay in higher health care costs, higher taxes and higher prices for everything. This out of control cost will eventually backrupt the country. We have an aging population that will eventually overwhelm the system if it hasn’t already.
You may live in a dream world where nothing affects you, but unfortunatly these kinds of problems affect us all… including you.
This is what good government is for… exactly these kinds of problems.
Unfortunalty we dont have good government.
And another thing. You are clueless about Independents. Independents come in every conceivable political ideology from liberal to conservative and everything in between. There is no one kind of Independent… they are all kinds. Independents don’t fit into any preconceived category.
Most Independents I know are smart enough to know that NO ONE has all the answers. If you think one side has all the answers then you don’t know anything about people.
Oh please….if you can climb down off your cross long enough to have a conversation…
You absolutely said the government needs to solve problems (although it’s true you didn’t specify that they step in to solve your specific problem). It’s a Liberal mindset. The government getting involved with health care will only make it worse (as it has with Medicare). Costs will rise, services will become more scarce, and politicians will hand out money like it was candy to people who support them (all in the name of fairness). If you don’t understand that reality, then you’re naive.
Obama, Pelosi and Reid have lied repeatedly about what is contained in the various bills, what the CBO has said about them, and what the effect will be on the population at large. My sister is a 50 year-old single mom who makes about $35,000 a year. The one big perk of the job she’s held for 20 years is the exceptional health plan. She was told that if the Senate version passes, she’ll get hit with thousands in additional taxes, while Andy Stern and his goon patrol gets a freebie for having bought and paid for the new president with union dues and muscle.
Like I said, if you believe that this bill will “fix” (or even improve) the health care mess we have, then you’re naive (and that’s me being kind).
And one more thing. I’m very aware that Independents come in all size, shapes and colors. I’m also aware that Liberal Democrats LOVE to come on message boards and call themselves Independents as some kind of street cred. After I see a couple hundred posts from you about your political ideology I’ll be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Until then, don’t ask me to take your word for you being some fair-minded Independent.
And one more thing. I’m very aware that Independents come in all size, shapes and colors. I’m also aware that Liberals LOVE to come on message boards and call themselves Independents as some kind of street cred. After I see a couple hundred posts from you about your political ideology I’ll be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Until then, don’t ask me to take your word for you being some fair-minded Independent.
Oh really
So you are the decider here? Is this your website? So you decide who has credability and who dosn’t?……I don’t think so. I don’t need or want your approval. Your approval means nothing to anyone except you.
You obviously fancy yourself as some kind of authority… you’re not. I will speak whether you like it or not. You know that old freedom of speech thing. You probably don’t approve of that either.
You are no more important than anyone else here. Get off you pedestal and take off your crown…..it will do you some good.
“So you are the decider here? Is this your website? So you decide who has credability and who dosn’t?……I don’t think so. I don’t need or want your approval. Your approval means nothing to anyone except you.”
Strawman meet Power. Power meet strawman.
I’m sorry, could you please quote the portion of my comment when I claimed it was my web site, that I established credibility, or that I wanted you to seek my approval? If you’ll read it again (and take the Daily Kos out of your eyes), you’ll notice I said you haven’t made enough posts to tell what kind of person you are, so you can claim to be a martian, but don’t expect many people to take your word for it. I’ve been on this site (along with many of the other posters) since day 1, so people know if I say something that I’m not just a troll claiming something to win points in an argument.
You don’t have anything to prove to me. You have something to prove to all of us (assuming you actually want to be taken seriously). Until then, the only way anyone will know you’re not just another troll hanging out to spew Liberal talking points is by your words. It has nothing whatsoever to do with me (other than the fact that we were talking and you decided to make with the hyperbole).
BTW, spare us the “freedom of speech” nonsense. Your guaranteed freedom of speech is a Constitutional guarantee that the government will not suppress your speech. You have no such right on a message board. People can (and are) kicked off every day (or have posts censored) when they violate the rules of the site, or if the moderator is just having a bad day. You don’t have a right to be free from mocking when you say something dumb or offensive. You don’t even have the right not to be accused of lying when you claim you’re one thing, then say something completely contradictory (just ask BMF).
One last thing….I actually agree with your first two posts in this thread. I just disagree that the government can solve many problems (at least not without massive waste and fraud). When it comes to health care, I have absolutely no doubt that their involvement is going to make matters worse. I can sympathize with the desire to have someone step in and make things better, but the reality is that the system is far too complicated and expensive for any single solution (even a 2700 page on) to make it better. Even if it was a good piece of legislation (and it’s not), the unintended consequences would just push the problem to a different place, causing different people to suffer.
“After I see a couple hundred posts from you about your political ideology I’ll be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Well there’s your answer. You used the word “I” twice in one sentence. “I” means you. You did not say we or us you said “I”. So let me guess. Everyone else see’s that except you even though you wrote it.
And my answer to you would be the same either way. I do not have to pass some approval squad of posters hear. I am free to speak my mind. Maybe you think you own some chummy little club of posters who rule the site. If that is the case then no one will come hear to comment because opposing views will not be tolerated by the ideology approval squad.
AS for your “troll” remark…get serious. That is the weakest of all acccusations. Anyone who says that exposes themselves as someone with nothing to say and as someone who is unable to debate. It is the lamest of name calling and very childish.
I let my comments speak for themselves. That is obviously the part you dont like.
If you want good health insurance and care it starts with price gouging. Medical equipment, Medications, Hospital/clinics charges, Outrages costs of nursing homes and rehab centers. Until those costs are addressed we will never have good health care in this country. I have seen people as much as 800.00 for three pills..how can anyone explain that? but yet insurance companies see that crap all the time.
@thebigodoopedu2 For the health care costs you mention to come down, it will require a strong federal regulatory system that caps expenses that can be charged by providers. That combined with a cap that insurers can charge should do the trick. Glad to hear Republicans are finally coming around to government oversight and regulation of the Health Care industry.
While we are at it, why not allow younger healthy people to buy their way into Medicare? That would solve a lot of problems as well and help make sure the program stays in the black for a long time.
But I imagine the insurance lobbies would not like that very much.
Nice Twist…but that aint gonna fly this direction…”Regulating” actually you mean a take over of our health care and supply system completely…sounds a Bit “S” alist to me. the fact Obama has already made the least guilty a villain by bashing and trashing insurance companies…that isnt working for reasonable thinking people..Sorry but we are no were near being on the same page
So Republicans are defending the outrageous profits of insurance companies? That’s cool. You have exposed yourselves as more interested in private profits than public health. Good luck with your campaign. You will lose. Regulation is coming. Glad you are finally being honest about your agenda.
You will lose big time.
Flips
You may be against these profits but the Democrats are doing NOTHING to stop it. Talk does not stop it. There is nothing in the Democrats bill that will control costs one bit. It’s all fake easy to get around fluff. Any health insurance lawyer could get around this fake regulation in about 1/2 a second.
The Democrats bill is a corrupt handout to the health insurance industry, one of their largest campaign contributors.
The Republicans are just as corrupt and have no intentions of solving anything.
And while all this goes on… the American people get left behind.
Agreed. We need a single-payer, national health system, like most of the industrialized world has. Obama wimped out and bowed to the insurance companies.
“We need a single-payer, national health system…”
Only if we want vastly higher taxes, poorer service, longer lines, rationing of care, and higher death rates due to diseases like cancer. Oh yeah, it also causes a lower standard of living for anyone dealing with elective medical procedures like joint problems.
Sounds swell, where do I sign up?
You are just spinning your wheels here flip..you wont find many people here that will buy into what your selling. We can’t attack those that are doing the paying before we take a good look at those that are doing the charging. Until someone can explain to me why our insurances are being outrageously gouged how can you ever convince anyone insurances are over charging? No one says a word about the 15 dollar box of tissue but beitch to high heaven if their insurance premiums are too high. Health Care Costs are Way Too HIGH! and that has NOTHING to do with insurance. Supply and demand if you REALLY need it you will need to sell the family home to get it. that is what happens in our health care system.
TheBigD
Health Insurance companies do NOT provide health care.
Doctors and Nurses provide health care.
Health Insurance companies are just middlemen whose only purpose is to take our money. That’s it. That’s there only purpose.
Pretty much every other country on earth seems to have figured that out except us. It’s not that the American people havn’t figured it out… we have.
It’s our corrupt Democratic and Republican politicians who have not figured it out.
“Health Insurance companies do NOT provide health care.”
Just like the fact that car insurance companies don’t provide cars. Kind of a “DUH” moment, don’t you think?
If you don’t like insurance, don’t buy it. You can still pay doctors cash for your procedures.
“So Republicans are defending the outrageous profits of insurance companies?”
Can you actually define how much profit there is in the insurance industry, and how much it exceeds the amount you’d consider “outrageous” by? I know it’s daunting, but actually using facts can be quite illuminating.
Making 2.2 cents on every dollar is not outrageous. In fact it is one of the slimmest profit margins of the big industries. Big oil is only 2.1 cents on every dollar. A 5 year IRA is 2.56 cents on every dollar. Is it outrageous to collect your profits on an IRA? What about the profits of other industries that make more like network and communications that makes 28.8 cents on every dollar? Thats more then 10 times what health insurance industry makes with out counting the non-profit side of the industry.
Instead of parroting talking points you should educate your self. I don’t think you will though.
Bingo! We have a winner.
Your ignorance is part of the problem. Medicare already sets caps on what doctors and hospitals can charge as well as how many days a person can be in the hospital for different diagnosis. The governments interference in the free market with healthcare is why others premiums are higher. Medicare has been expanded from it’s orginal plan to help elderly with their health care needs to now cover people who are on social security disability and people on dialysis. Now that makes a lot of sense doesn’t it. Don’t you think those people would place a burden on the system. The only health care the feds should be involved in is VA and it should be self contained. Plus the insurance companies are heavily regulated by the States.
Medicare sucks…I cared for my wife with MS for 10 yrs at home. she was on medicare. plus I have been an in home care giver for over 35 yrs. I know first hand how medicare works. If that is a sign to come for our health care system we are in for a lot of trouble. Just tonight I came from a 3 hour class talking about how families are forced to care for loved ones at home often giving up their careers because in order to put them in a care facility they would need to pay more per month than what you would make to work. Often these care facilities take control of their home or any valued property if they can’t pay and it spills over onto all family members and that is what comes after medicare pays. often they don’t pay their bills and it can take up to a year to get many adaptive equipment paid for at all. what happens more than not is the family ends up paying for it until the insurance pays..
Lets put all the blame onto the Insurance companies. I can tell you people like me that work in the health care system know that hospitals and nursing homes are far worse at gouging. what do you expect from an Insurance company when they are being billed 5.00 for one cheap generic aspirin…or 1200.00 for a plastic shower chair the list is endless. Medical costs need to be cut. There is no excuse for the price gouging from hospitals/clinics/nursing/rehab homes and medical supply companies. Maybe Insurance companies could afford to give much better policies if th3y were not being gouged. It would pay to have happy customers seems to me the insurance companies are the only once expected to please..If you have been to the Dr.’s lately you know they could care less they take for ever getting you and very often do nothing but make you wonder why you came in the first place.
I do agree that the hospitals and nursing homes share responsibility for the run away costs. But my doctor is one of those wonderful doctors that recognizes that your time is as valuable as his, never wait more than 20mins. that includes time in lobby and back in rooms. He takes his time with you and always asks if I have any questions before leaving the room. He is a Canadian doctor who came to USA to make a living and be able to practice medicine that puts the patients needs first. Imagine that.
“Everybody here would want you to know and want the nation to know that our members are very concerned about premiums,” she said.
Whomp there it is!
Bravo on your ‘even a blind squirrel’ moment. You’re actually on to something, even though it’s likely you’re confused as to what it is. It’s this.
It’s the about the COSTS, not the coverage. Concerned about premiums? You betcha. Why? Because health care costs are so high. The overall costs are driving the costs of the premiums, which seems logical to just about anyone that doesn’t think the insurance companies come up with their prices by rolling a bag of D&D dice.
Which is also one of the huge problems folks have with the Obamacare as (it appears to be, who really knows, not even apparently Pelosi) proposed – it doesn’t do much more than toss around enough money to look like an aircraft carrier’s worth of drunken sailors after a year long deployment look like miserly choir boys. Which, oh by the way, the American taxpayers are expected to pay out UP FRONT, before the wonderous manna of sweet, sweet health care utopia actually begins to supply any benefits.
Whomp, there it is, upside the haid.
Windrdr…I totally agree with you. Also wait and see if Obama care does pass. you will see the cost of medical services/equipment sky rocket. These entitlement/(So cial is t) programs always cause a feeding frenzies. you will see all the far left special interest groups show the public how to rip off this system.
Agreed (and kudos for a D&D reference).