A Real Protection Racket

Bob Cesca flags this item down, showing that the insurance companies are playing hardball on killing the public option and making health care reform into a huge treasure chest of new customers for insurers.  And folks, they are getting serious.

BlueCross BlueShield continues to coerce and intimidate its customers into protesting healthcare reform:

A small business owner in the Kansas-City area who carries BCBS insurance for her employees forwards us a letter she received earlier this month from BCBS of Kansas City. The letter, from Tom Bowser, the CEO of BCBS-KC, describes the public option as an "unnecessary government intrusion in the private financing of health-care," which will "cause millions to lose their current private coverage," and will create "long waits for service with some providers closing their doors." [...]

Bowser closes by telling recipients: "I am asking that you personally engage on these issues by calling or writing your member of Congress." A sample letter to lawmakers, which expresses "deep concern" about reform, follows Bowser's letter.....

This ought to be investigated and BCBS ought to be penalized. Much like the cartel as a whole, this is about coercing people based upon their will to live. The cartel capitalizes on the fact that humans don't want to die, so it's engaged in selling us life, and it knows that we'll pay any price for it. So imagine being a customer receiving a letter like this. Do you ignore it, or do you send the letter for fear of BCBS dropping your policy?

"You know Mr. Smith, it would be a shame if anything happened to your insurance coverage for you and your employees.  Now, I can make sure nothing...unfortunate...happens if you just do me the smallest of favors and tell Congress that as a business owner, you object to the public option.  I've even included this sample letter to make this easier on you, because I know you're busy taking care of you customers and your employees..."

It's a shakedown, of course.  And you can bet that thousands and thousands of small business owners and benefit administrators at larger companies have quietly gotten letters like this over the last few months from their own insurance companies.  It's good business.  Why spend tens of millions on advocacy and scare tactics to the public when you can just make "helpful suggestions" to the key people calling the shots on the millions of Americans who get insurance through their employers for the cost of a mass mailing?

What, you thought the insurance companies were going to play fair?  What do you think's going to happen between when the bill is signed into law and when the protections take effect?  Have we learned nothing from the lesson of credit card reform?