Thursday, July 23, 2009

Will the health insurance industry change?

With health care reform on the shelf until Congress reconvenes, will the health insurance industry start making any changes? From the Business Week article:
Karen Ignagni, president of the lobbying group America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), told Congress in a letter that a public plan would "significantly increase costs for those who remain in private coverage."
...
"We do think comprehensive reform is needed," says Alissa Fox, senior vice-president of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

AHIP even launched an ad campaign on July 20 titled "Let's Fix Health Care," a far cry from the devastating "Harry and Louise" ads that helped sink reform efforts in the early 1990s. The ads call for a health-system overhaul but don't mention the public plan, which polls show the public supports. As Charles Boorady, health-care analyst with Citi Investment Research & Analysis, says: "The health insurers ... have a difficult PR battle."
Click here to access the BW article. Here's a hint, rethink your acceptable profit margin.

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