HCAN RELEASES NEW TV AND PRINT ADS TO COINCIDE WITH ANTI-AHIP ACTION
***See ads: HealthCareForAmericaNow.org/antiAHIP***
Action Today 2:30pm:
Families Denied Care Will Confront Health Insurance Industry at DC Conference
Hundreds to Rally Outside While Families Tell Personal Stories Inside;
Families Sent Letter Challenging AHIP CEO to Face Them in Person
Washington, DC – Health Care For America Now (HCAN) – the nation’s largest health care campaign – released a new TV and print ad today to coincide with anti-health insurance actions taking place this afternoon. The TV ad runs for three days starting today on DC broadcast and cable and calls out America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) – the health insurance lobby – for releasing a bogus report on the eve of the Senate Finance Committee vote in an attempt to kill meaningful reform. See the ad: HealthCareForAmericaNow.org/antiAHIP.
At 2:30pm today, seven families who have traveled to Washington, DC from around the country will hold a press conference inside the Capital Hilton to tell their stories of denied care and atrocious mistreatment by the private health insurance industry. The families have sent a letter to Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of the health insurance lobby, challenging her to face them in person and hear what they’ve endured. Ms. Ignagni has yet to respond. The letter (pdf) is the basis for the print ad appearing today in Congress Daily AM, Congressional Quarterly, The Hill, Politico, and Roll Call. See the ad: HealthCareForAmericaNow.org/antiAHIP.
While AHIP holds its annual State Issues conference inside the Capital Hilton, hundreds of supporters of health care reform that guarantees good affordable coverage with the choice of a public health insurance option will the surround the hotel with signs that read “IT’S A CRIME TO DENY CARE.”
LOCATION: Senate Room (adjoins the main ballroom on the second floor)
Capital Hilton Hotel
1001 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
THURSDAY at 2:30 PM EST
“AHIP Bogus Report” Script:
VIDEO:
Skyscraper background
SUPER: Health insurance companies profit $25 billion a year
Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2008
SUPER: CEOs make $690 million
Source: Compensation 2000 - 2008, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Bring on report with AHIP logo stamped on it.
TIME magazine logo with SUPER: “selective, dishonest analysis”
SUPER: If the insurance companies win, you lose.
White screen with logo and SUPER: We need good health care we can afford. With the choice of a public health insurance option.
AUDIO:
Health insurance companies made $25 billion dollars in profits last year. (SFX: cash register sound)
Sources: Company 10-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Also, America's Health Insurance Plans, "AHIP Statement on Status of Health Care Reform," August 4, 2009. Accessed at http://www.ahip.org/content/pressrelease.aspx?docid=27953. Also, Projected National Health Expenditures in 2009, $2.5 trillion. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “National Health Expenditure Projections 2008-2018.” Accessed at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/proj2008.pdf.
Their CEOs made $690 million. (SFX: cash register sound)
Source: Securities and Exchange Commission data compiled by Health Care for America Now, “Total Compensation for CEOs of Major Health Insurers, 2000 – 2008 (in millions).” Accessed at http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/-/documents%20for%20download/CEO%20Compensation%20Top%20Health%20Insurers%202000-2008%20(1).pdf
Now the insurance lobby has paid for a report full of lies, trying to influence Congress to kill health care reform …a report Time Magazine called a “selective, dishonest analysis.”
Source: Time magazine, “A New and Better (But Still Flawed) Insurance Industry Report,” October 14, 2009. Accessed at http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/10/14/a-new-and-better-but-still-flawed-insurance-industry-report/
If the insurance companies win, you lose.
Tell Congress. We need good health care we can afford. With the choice of a public health insurance option.
THURSDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS
Kelly Arellanes, an AT&T worker from Arkansas, who was in a coma for three weeks after a 2004 horseback riding accident. Kelly and her husband David had to pay more than $200,000 in medical bills when Kelly’s emergency surgery was not covered by UnitedHealthcare.
Sharon Lantz, a realtor from Delaware, whose UnitedHealthcare plan forces her to pay for her cancer care “out of pocket,” requiring her to get chemotherapy medication from India (in order to afford it). Sharon cannot afford breast reconstruction.
Courtney Jenkins-Atnip, a mother of a toddler from Tennessee, who was denied medication for Crohn’s disease by UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare had approved the same medication 12 months earlier. By the time coverage was reinstated, Courtney’s condition had deteriorated, and she was forced to undergo serious surgery and miss 2 months of work.
Kevin Scott, a former marine officer, who has a brain tumor. Kevin’s MRIs, lab work, and treatment for side effects (like skin problems) are not covered through his BCBS Anthem plan which he retains through COBRA. When Kevin got sick, he left a good job in Virginia and moved in with his retired parents William & Elretha Scott in California who are trying to help pay bills that are now in the thousands and going up.
Stephanie Beck Borden of Ohio whose parents were in an accident that left her mother dead and her father in intensive care for 5 weeks. Stephanie had to battle insurance companies constantly to get her father vital treatments for his injuries so that he could walk again.
Georgeanne Koehler of Pennsylvania whose brother died of a heart attack in March after CIGNA and others refused to insure him because he had heart arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat).
Ian Pearl of Florida, who was born with muscular dystrophy, suffered respiratory arrest in 1991. He went on a ventilator, and saw his premiums rise to $3,736/month. In 2006, Guardian began an effort to get rid of unprofitable plans, calling the claimants “dogs” and dropping all policies like Ian’s. Ian will lose coverage for the 24-hour care that keeps him alive on Dec. 1, 2009, and his family faces $700,000/yr. in out-of-pocket costs. Ian cannot travel so his mother Susan Pearl will come to DC on his behalf. Read Ian’s story in his own words here.
