SopranoCare
Via the Daily Caller:
The White House is pressuring insurance companies not to speak publicly about Obama administration policies that could eliminate the existing health insurance plans of millions of Americans.
The administration made “clarifications” to the 2010 Affordable Care Act after it was passed that have already wiped out hundreds of thousands of existing health plans.
“Basically, if you speak out, if you’re quoted, you’re going to get a call from the White House, pressure to be quiet,” said CNN investigative reporter Drew Griffin on Anderson Cooper 360 Wednesday night. Insurance companies executives, Griffin said, ask heads of consulting firms not to criticize the Obamacare rollout debacle publicly.
“They feel defenseless before the White House P.R. team,” Griffin said. “The sources said they fear White House retribution.”
Prior to the Obamacare rollout, insurance companies issued warnings to the White House about the possibility of mass cancellations, which the administration ignored.
As has become usual of late, Jay Carney channels Ron Ziegler with this absurd answer. Apparently, the fact that insurance companies are still engaged in routine conversations with their customers proves they have not been silenced from publicly criticizing Obamacare.
White House press secretary Jay Carney, however, waved off the allegations.
“That accusation is preposterous and inaccurate,” Carney said. “Plus, it ignores the fact that every day, insurance companies are out talking about the law, in large part because they are trying to reach new customers who will now have new, affordable insurance options available from providers through the new marketplaces.”
maddog:
Our 3 person policy went from under $300 per month to over $600 with much higher deductibles and copays and a raft of "benefits" which I don't and never will use. Son could have purchased a catastrophic policy this year with $5000 deductible for under $40 per month. Under Big O-care it will be $113 per month and with much worse copays, etc.
It is impossible to believe that young people in their 20's will run to sign up for Big O-care now that it has higher premiums, higher deductibles and lots of goodies (like maternity and well baby care for men).
They didn't buy these policies when they were actually cheap. Why would they buy them now that they are actually expensive?
Are these pols really this hard of thinking?
Mark
October 31, 2013, 10:27 amnehemiah:
It was never about providing healthcare to anyone. It is about control. It is about delivering whatever healthcare there is through the government.
October 31, 2013, 12:24 pmmesaeconoguy:
“That accusation is preposterous and inaccurate,” Carney said.
Translation: That is exactly what happened.
Shut up Carney.
October 31, 2013, 1:17 pmEric H:
Carney is absolutely right. I keep hearing allegations that what we need is a free market with the implication that we had one all the way up to 2009. Bzzzt. We didn't have one then, and as far as I can tell, the insurance companies are thrilled by the current state of affairs. Why? Because the law mandates that you buy insurance.
Their market just expanded far more than any one of them could have achieved with aggressive marketing. In between the pitiful bleatings on talk radio about what a fiasco this is, the advertisements seem to be 40% dominated by insurers explaining the new and improved options they are offering. Good luck getting them thanks to the botched website and phone support, but when they created the ads 3 months ago that was hardly their expectation. They may be a little incensed by their bus-throwing, but they're fundamentally in support of this scheme. It sure beats the *actual* socialist alternative of one-payer.
October 31, 2013, 7:24 pmMatthew Slyfield:
Never ever accuse a politician of thinking.
October 31, 2013, 8:24 pmmesocyclone:
I think they're starting to realize that they've been victim of an Obama rope-a-dope.
Too late for America, sad to say.
October 31, 2013, 9:07 pm