I’d say you’re not going to believe this, but then again, it’s not exactly news that some in the health insurance industry will do whatever it takes to keep their profits --which in this case apparently includes running a fake grassroots campaign.

According to the Eagle Tribune, a daily newspaper serving Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the paper received at least three letters to the editor from seniors championing the Medicare Advantage program, a government-subsidized insurance product that is highly profitable for private insurance companies. It also happens to be on President Obama’s radar for potential cost-savings.

Insurance companies don’t want to see funding cut for Medicare Advantage subsidies, so the industry’s trade group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, hired a Boston-based political consulting firm to run a campaign defending the program, according to Jason Rosenbaum over at The Seminal.

The problem is, you actually have to have grassroots support for a grassroots campaign. When The Eagle Tribune called the three supposed authors, the paper discovered that that none of the three had any idea their names were being used in association with the campaign.

According to the newspaper, one letter attributed to Ana Abascal stated, “I wanted to express how important my Medicare Advantage health plan is to me and other fixed-income seniors in my community.” But after speaking with Abascal, the newspaper found she’d never even heard of Medicare Advantage.

And then the story just gets downright comical. The newspaper next got a call from a man who identified himself as Noah to ask if his grandmother’s letter had been published. But the man, according to the paper, was an intern with the consulting firm, the Dewey Square Group, and not the grandson of the supposed letter-writer.

There is no question the importance the grassroots support plays in reforming our health care system – as this example clearly illustrates. That’s why we traveled across the United States to meet thousands of people frustrated with our current health care system, and who have told us their personal stories.

So if insurance industry really wants to talk to real people with problems and propose effective ways to fix them, I’ll be happy to get them in touch with Dave, Cindy, Bobbie, Sheila, Jill and many, many more.

comments (1)

If you moderate comments, shame on you. Don't you have confidence in the people who want to make comments uncensored and want to get action on advancing health care?

A Call to action.

I have seen and spoke to a lot of well meaning Democrats wanting to make change in Washington and they issue petitions but they refuse to boycott the friends of those who would block progressive action and legislation. Such Democrats unnecessarily tie their left hand behind their backs. I urge people to consider boycotting the friends of those conservatives in congress in order to force them to sit up and take notice and capitulate to our demands. In our country money appears an important factor in getting action done. We need to go on a purchasing strike against the friends of regressives in order to force them to cooperate with us. It appears peaceful and legal in an atmosphere of legalized bribery in congress. We need to take back control over our purchases and how the profits get spent especially how they get used for legalize bribery in congress. We indirectly fund conservatives in congress through our purchases. We need to set conditions for our purchases through targeted boycotts.

If you don't like a particular TV program, you call their sponsors and tell them you will boycott them until the program either goes off the air or changes to your liking. This works similar with political parties, politicians and their sponsors (campaign contributors).

If you have a blog please post this on your blog. I want to get at least 100,000 people to sign these petitions, the first one which you can demand single payer health care and a fix to the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Read and sign these legislative petitions please and get hundreds of people to sign them and they will automatically go to Republican minority leaders Sen. McConnell and Rep. Boehner right away once you sign the petition.

http://bit.ly/single_payer

http://bit.ly/EFCA

http://bit.ly/10_an_hour_min_wage

http://bit.ly/norm_coleman_concede

http://bit.ly/women_freedom_of_choice_act

The links above correspond to these links with longer text.

http://www.change.org/actions/view/i_demand_congress_and_the_president_enact_single_payer_universal_health_care

http://www.change.org/actions/view/i_demand_congress_and_the_president_enact_the_employee_free_choice_act

http://www.change.org/actions/view/i_demand_that_the_congress_and_the_president_enact_a_10_an_hour_minimum_wage_into_law

http://www.change.org/actions/view/i_demand_that_norm_coleman_concede_the_senate_race

http://www.change.org/actions/view/i_demand_that_the_congress_and_the_president_enact_the_womens_freedom_of_choice_act_into_law

Oh and I created this parody t shirt about medicare part D that uses a familiar symbol.

See it here.

http://www.zazzle.com/http_action_democratz_org_tshirt-235693652310223019?group=mens&lifeStyle=all&rf=238083065491105452

Post a Comment (* indicates a required field)

*Name:

*Email Address:

URL:

*Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)

*Security Code:

<<< You must enter this security code!

Remember Me? Yes No