UnitedHealth Presses its Employees to Oppose Public Option

by Anne Landman — November 13, 2009 - 3:07pm
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The country's largest private health insurer, UnitedHealth Group, is urging its 75,000 employees to phone their senators and write letters-to-the-editor to protest the inclusion of a public health insurance option in health reform legislation. The California-based consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog obtained a copy of an email that United for Health Reform, UnitedHealth Group's lobbying arm, sent to company employees. The letter contained form letters that employees could use to contact newspapers and senators and, according to Consumer Watchdog, offered the same misleading talking points advanced by the Republican Party, like the claim that health insurance reform will cause millions to lose their coverage. Earlier this year, Consumer Watchdog filed a complaint against UnitedHealth Group and WellPoint, another major U.S. insurer, for allegedly violating California law by pressuring employees to lobby against health reform. Corporate mobilization of employees is a lobbying technique used by Philip Morris in opposing U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco in the 1990s.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, November 13, 2009

Comments

Why so "Evil"?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 19, 2009 - 10:16am.

When insurance companies ( Oil companies as well) sound off, lobby or just try to protect their interests they are "Evil". When unions, groups like ACORN and others progressives sound off they are "grass root voices of the people".

If I could buy insurance across state lines and only the coverage I want then there would be true competition and cost would be lowered. Health insurance is just that INSURANCE! Not health care. If my cell phone service provider mistreats me, I move to another service. Relax the old laws on buying insurance that meets my needs (don't need maternity or drug treatment coverage) from another state, true competition will lower cost.

Everything the Gov't gets involved in becomes political and poorly managed- remember the laws to lower cable TV costs?

Every cost projection for social programs since the great society has been enacted missed the mark 100 fold. So not happy with your Insurance Company? Find a better one (there are hundreds of them) Not happy with Socialized Health Care? No where to go.

Political Games

Submitted by Stephhunter (not verified) on November 15, 2009 - 5:07pm.

Of course they are going to try to protect their business interests, but the fact of the way health insurance companies have pillaged America is what's going to bite them in the end. Especially since there are proven models that work much better. http://cli.gs/23yYaM/