CNN Anderson Cooper - Whitehouse Retribution - Strong Arming Insurance Companies To Silence Them

All along I have been aware of the Obama admin pressuring the insurance agencies to hide issues with the roll out. But it refreshing to see Anderson Cooper reporting on this, and in an alarming way. The White House is trampling the freedom of speech of the insurance companies to keep them from publicly criticizing the Obamacare roll out. You see this all relates to the clarifications that the Obama admin made to the IRS rules that is requiring insurance companies to drop plans entirely. The White House is even going as far as calling the companies themselves! These executives feel defenseless against the White House PR team and are fearful about retribution.

It was also reported that the White House was told by the insurance industry that the policies people were being forced into would not work. But just like with the website, the Obama admin went ahead and did it anyways. As you can see, Obama's way is the only way, even if it is wrong and hurts people. 3 more years of this attitude could really harm the US.

The White House is exerting massive pressure, on the industry, including the trade associations, to keep quiet.

reply to post by elouina


Glad to see CNN reporting this intimidation tactic to silence the companies.
Way to go Anderson Cooper!!
And that's a left leaning news station too, I'm impressed.


There are people that have received letters from their insurance companies stating that they are being dropped due to Obamacare.

Now then, during the election, didn't Pres.Obama state that this wasn't true?
It was a lie concocted by the GOP?

Hmmm.....
Can this president ever tell the truth????
All he is good at is evading the answers, whether it's about the health care, NSA, spying on allies, Benghazi, FF, hell the list goes on and on.

So why should we believe anything he says now?
We simply can't

And all the Dems can do to deflect all this negativity is to bring up Bush.
No solutions, just play the blame game.
God that is getting soooo old.

reply to post by elouina

These executives feel defenseless against the White House PR team and are fearful about retribution.

Poor Insurance Co. executives...and their bonuses. I'm sure they are worried about the average Joe (right?)

From the video...

Government backed plans accounted for about 48 pct of healthcare policies last year… a number that’s expected to grow this year and years to come, so basically,the insurance companies are forced to be quiet for basically their biggest source of income.

Have the insurance companies suddenly decided to become altruistic?

What am I missing here?

reply to post by elouina

All along I have been aware of the Obama admin pressuring the insurance agencies to hide issues with the roll out. But it refreshing to see Anderson Cooper reporting on this, and in an alarming way. The White House is trampling the freedom of speech of the insurance companies to keep them from publicly criticizing the Obamacare roll out.

Dear god were you brainwashed as a child??? "The insurance companies right to free speech" !! It's a damn corporation, they shouldnt have free speech!!!!!!!!!

You do realize services were not allowed to even market themselves to the public in the past do you not!!!??

Meaning, lawyers, insurance brokers, etc, were not allowed to sway public opinion!

Facepalm x infinity

reply to post by snarky412

Glad to see CNN reporting this intimidation tactic to silence the companies.
Way to go Anderson Cooper!!
And that's a left leaning news station too, I'm impressed.

Yeah, what a crusader, just imagine how many mom & pop insurance companies are out there supporting him cause without it they might close shop! Oh wait…

reply to post by boncho


Everyone in the US is entitled to free speech. And if the insurance executives saw problems before the roll out, they should have been able to tell the public. And they should also be able to tell us now. This administration strikes anyone down that goes against their plans in any way. And it is time to put an end to this.

Anyone that would support this administrations gagging the free speech of any American would have to be brainwashed themselves. Either that or a part of the Administrations propaganda task force. And I bet they are all running scared now that the MSM is finally taking noticed. You know, lashing out at others in desperation...

elouina
reply to post by boncho

 

Everyone in the US is entitled to free speech. And if the insurance executives saw problems before the roll out, they should have been able to tell the public. And they should also be able to tell us now. This administration strikes anyone down that goes against their plans in any way. And it is time to put an end to this.

Anyone that would support this administrations gagging the free speech of any American would have to be brainwashed themselves. Either that or a part of the Administrations propaganda task force. And I bet they are all running scared now that the MSM is finally taking noticed. You know, lashing out at others in desperation...

Insurance executives are officers of a corporation. Insurance companies don't give a rat's ass about the public, they care about profit margins, and if you don't believe that read shareholder statements.

Anyone that would support this administrations gagging the free speech of any American would have to be brainwashed themselves. Either that or a part of the Administrations propaganda task force. And I bet they are all running scared now that the MSM is finally taking noticed. You know, lashing out at others in desperation...

When was the last time an insurance company cared about anything to do with a human? Let alone the free speech of a citizen?

Insurance companies are the exact reason why healthcare is broken in the US, they are the cause, in fact, because they are anti-ACA it actually leads me to believe there might be some inane redeeming value about the catastrophic failure that is the legislation:

Long-Term Trend #8: The Health Care Industry

The United States health care system is completely and totally broken. It has become a gigantic money making machine for health insurance companies, pharmaceutical corporations and greedy lawyers.

Americans pay more for health care than anyone else in the world and yet they get shockingly little in return.

Health care expenses are the number one reason why people file for personal bankrupty in the United States. Surprisingly, most of those who get bankrupted by health care expenses actually have health insurance.

The health insurance system in the United States is a complete and total mess. Health insurance premiums are busting the budgets of tens of millions of American families and yet they are getting ready to go up yet once again.

Already, large numbers of health insurance companies across the United States have announced that they plan to increase health insurance premiums in response to the new health care law.

But do health insurance companies actually need more money? Even as the rest of the U.S. economy deeply struggles, America's health insurance companies increased their profits by 56 percent in 2009.

At least someone is doing well in this economy.

The truth is that the U.S. health care system needs to be totally and completely reinvented. The system we had before did not work. Barack Obama's new health care system will be far worse. Meanwhile, the health care industry is literally choking the life out of the U.S. economy.

theeconomiccollapseblog.com...

Watching you defend insurance companies is like watching someone defend their kidnapper/abuser, unless perhaps you work for one or you have Stockholm Syndrome, in which case I understand.

reply to post by boncho


Such statements are discriminatory and prejudiced. Insurance executives are our brothers, sisters, parents, neighbors, and aunts and uncles. Not all people that live in trailers are trash, just the same, not all insurance people are evil. They are normal every day people and their lifestyles and opinions will vary.

Double face palm...

Oh and for your information, I support anyone who tells the truth no matter their race, religion, or profession.

elouina
reply to post by boncho

 

Such statements are discriminatory and prejudiced. Insurance executives are our brothers, sisters, parents, neighbors, and aunts and uncles. Not all people that live in trailers are trash, just the same, not all insurance people are evil. They are normal every day people and their lifestyles and opinions will vary.

At home they are family, whatever, while they are working they are officers of a corporation. Do you not see the distinction? At home, they are speaking on behalf of themselves, but during work hours or on behalf of the corporation they are legal officers and their words are binding for the corporation, not for you, not for timmy, not for any living breathing thing, they are speaking on behalf of an inanimate creation.

If you believe in free speech for insurance workers, I urge you, absolutely urge you, to get one to speak up about some injustice in the industry, like falsely denying claims to people! And if the insurance industry doesn't fire their ass in .2 seconds flat, I will agree with you they care about free speech.

www.justice.org...

reply to post by boncho


Prejudice is a lifelong disease that is rarely overcome. I am not defending the insurance industry as a whole. But I am defending their right to free speech and to expose corruption. If they would have been,"allowed" we would not be in this huge mess with millions losing their insurance coverage.

But I guess time is better spent ranting about how evil they are vs. doing something productive? Yeah silence them all because they are evil! And allow American citizens to be thrown off their insurance, because a few are corrupt, and we can't allow them to speak their mind. That will teach em huh? Now explain to me who suffers here as a result? Thought so... Is there such a thing as a triple face palm? Can I borrow someones hand?

Oh and thanks for the bumps, much appreciated!

elouina
reply to post by boncho

 

Prejudice is a lifelong disease that is rarely overcome. I am not defending the insurance industry as a whole. But I am defending their right to free speech and to expose corruption. If they would have been,"allowed" we would not be in this huge mess with millions losing their insurance coverage.

But I guess time is better spent ranting about how evil they are vs. doing something productive? Yeah silence them all because they are evil! And allow American citizens to be thrown off their insurance, because a few are corrupt, and we can't allow them to speak their mind. That will teach em huh? Now explain to me who suffers here as a result? Thought so... Is there such a thing as a triple face palm? Can I borrow someones hand?

Oh and thanks for the bumps, much appreciated!

Your confusion is at the core of the debate we are having. You don't see a difference between a living breathing soul, and an officer of a corporation. The difference is that a person, signs a contract, stating that when they perform their duties, they are speaking on behalf of the corporation and not themselves.

This actually went to court, and sadly people were in favour of a corporation having free speech.

www.policymic.com...

If you do not recognize what is inherently wrong with this, then there is probably nothing I can say to change your mind.

But keep in mind, a person's (living breathing) goals of living a life, in the pursuit of happiness (or whatever you might call it) is radically different then an agenda driven corporation that knowingly states its objective is to make as much money as possible for shareholders while hiding behind a legal team for any problems it has with the law.

If you wish corporations to have free speech, you should also wish for their officers to go to jail when they break the law. (Although this doesn't happen.)

Keep in mind I am a majority shareholder in a corporation and a minority holder in a few. Yet I still recognize a distinction between people and corporations.

Your claim that people operate corporations so they should have free speech, is ludicrous because they give up that right when they bond themselves to the corporation and agree to follow its direction under the threat of losing their position.

reply to post by elouina

But I guess time is better spent ranting about how evil they are vs. doing something productive? Yeah silence them all because they are evil! And allow American citizens to be thrown off their insurance, because a few are corrupt, and we can't allow them to speak their mind. That will teach em huh? Now explain to me who suffers here as a result? Thought so... Is there such a thing as a triple face palm? Can I borrow someones hand?

Here's a handy question for you to answer. Prove to us the corporation is telling the whole truth in this mater. And how exactly did you come across this information?

Can't do it can ya? Wow, gee, corps aren't so transparent are they?

Nothing to see here folks ... move along ... move along ... unless ...

Don't you see the spin? The insurance companies are going to make money on this hand-over-fist. Of course they're going to keep quiet ... they just want to pin the blame on guberment. The insurance industry is the source of the written law. Did you think Pelosi had anywhere near the brains to write that?

ETA: Cooper is just playing his role and collecting his paycheck. Does anyone even trust this guy anymore?

reply to post by boncho


I think what we have here is truth in numbers. And if I were them, I would save proof as in recorded phone calls etc.. I really don't think an educated executive would make an accusation without proof. The NSA isn't the only one to record calls you know...

Although it wouldn't be admissible in court, the proof would most certainly get the press and American people fired up. My advice to the white House is to let up before it is made worse for themselves.

Now how I found this info? Lets see now.... It is ANDERSON COOPER ON CNN for Christs sake. Kind of hard to miss.

Snarl
Nothing to see here folks ... move along ... move along ... unless ...

Don't you see the spin? The insurance companies are going to make money on this hand-over-fist. Of course they're going to keep quiet ... they just want to pin the blame on guberment. The insurance industry is the source of the written law. Did you think Pelosi had anywhere near the brains to write that?

ETA: Cooper is just playing his role and collecting his paycheck. Does anyone even trust this guy anymore?

edit on 30102013 by Snarl because: tense correction and ETA

I didn't even consider this angle. Well played. After you mentioned this I checked the 2013 lobby spending by the insurance industry:

Total for Insurance: $77,272,400
Total Number of Clients Reported: 175
Total Number of Lobbyists Reported: 846
Total Number of Revolvers: 531 (62.8%)

Now, compare the top health related companies who would be affected by ACA, and check the ones that aren't:

Blue Cross/Blue Shield $6,244,150
America's Health Insurance Plans $4,580,000
American Council of Life Insurers $3,843,400
Prudential Financial $3,404,000

CMFG Life Insurance $546,011
Delta Dental Plans Assn $530,000
Primerica Life Insurance $530,000

www.opensecrets.org...

The insurance industry spent about as much as oil and gas (if not more) in lobbying in 2013. Almost double what commercial banks spent:

Total for Commercial Banks: $31,822,875
Total Number of Clients Reported: 72
Total Number of Lobbyists Reported: 405
Total Number of Revolvers: 273 (67.4%)

Big insurers were omnipresent during the ObamaCare negotiations. Their most effective negotiator was Karen Ignagni, CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the industry’s leading lobby. Washingtonian magazine called her one of the top three “Top Guns” of all trade association heads, and she proved it with ObamaCare.

In March 2009, Ignagni promised President Obama: “You have our commitment to play, to contribute, and to help pass health care reform this year.” And play she did.

Ignagni and AHIP members participated in hundreds of meetings and spent millions of dollars to shape the final bill. Between January 2007 and August 2012, the political action committees of AHIP and the 11 largest health insurance companies gave $10.2 million to federal politicians, according to Federal Election Commission filings.



They received a lot for their time and money.

canadafreepress.com...

I'm not surprised this isn't the main discussion up for debate. I had been scratching my head for awhile now, not being able to figure out the whole ACA thing, but this looks like a worthwhile direction.

-

By the way OP, when you talk about insurance companies and their free speech, what about their paid speech, or does everyone get 70 million to blow in the halls of congress?

reply to post by boncho


You know what bothers me more than anything? Your attempt to sway this thread off topic in a totally opposite direction. What should bother you more than anything is that Obama added rules after Obamacare was passed. Rules that will take affordable insurance away from millions of people. And also that the Obama admin is trying to silence the ones that are exposing this atrocity.

My biggest question for anyone that can get past the above crap is, was the adding of rules to Obamacare legal to do?

I don't really see how insurance companies are going to profit from Obamacare.

As a matter of fact, I see insurance companies going bankrupt (paving the way for single-payer).

Who is signing up for Obamacare right now?

Those that need it. Those that really need it.

They had pre-existing conditions before and for whatever reason, were denied coverage.

Now they'll have insurance. And almost immediately, the insurance companies will have to pay out. Huge.

Now insurance companies make their money by getting healthy people to pay and not take out any claims.

But healthy people are going to be paying "fines" instead of high premiums and high deductables.

While the poor, sick, injured and infirm will be signing up for their "free" healthcare.

Hate insurance companies or love them. It makes no difference to me.

But Obamacare was meant to destroy the current system.

boncho
I'm not surprised this isn't the main discussion up for debate. I had been scratching my head for awhile now, not being able to figure out the whole ACA thing, but this looks like a worthwhile direction.

LOL ... you ain't the first person on ATS to figure out I wasn't born yesterday. The ACA is not what is important. The ACA is a distraction for the GOP rape and demise of Social Security. In Washington one hand is always washing the other.

Please ... stop picking on the OP. Elouina did a fine job with her post. Every time this happens it's one more blow to the 'purple' monster. It's okay to be initially divided on the issues as long as we come out stronger together on the other side.

-Cheers

beezzer
I don't really see how insurance companies are going to profit from Obamacare.

Beez, the law is there. You have to have insurance. Penalties for not having insurance can be raised. Basically the ring is through the nose and TPTB just need to pull harder on the rope.

The insurance companies are going to profit, (first) because of the plan limitations, of which there are exactly four. The cheapest plan is by far more expensive than a healthy person's custom plan.

The only way this would have ever worked fairly is

Snarl

beezzer
I don't really see how insurance companies are going to profit from Obamacare.

Beez, the law is there. You have to have insurance. Penalties for not having insurance can be raised. Basically the ring is through the nose and TPTB just need to pull harder on the rope.

The insurance companies are going to profit, (first) because of the plan limitations, of which there are exactly four. The cheapest plan is by far more expensive than a healthy person's custom plan.

The only way this would have ever worked fairly is

I am looking at losing my insurance through my current employer. (If I don't get this new job I am interviewing for) then I will drop out completely. I cannot afford the 12, 831.00/year (with a 10K deductible) that Obamacare would offer through the exchanges in my state.

Screw the law.

I'll pay the fine first.