Health Care For America Now

AR Ad Thanks Senators Lincoln and Pryor for Supporting Senate Debate; NE Ad Criticizes Senator Johanns for Trying To Stop Debate

***See the AR Ad: HealthCareforAmericaNow.org/LincolnPryor***
***See the NE Ad: HealthCareforAmericaNow.org/FirstJob***

Washington, DC - Health Care for America Now (HCAN) – the nation’s largest health care campaign – debuted two new television ads today – one in Arkansas and one in Nebraska. The first thanks Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) for voting to allow the Senate to begin debate on health care reform and putting their constituents' needs ahead of the health insurance industry’s greed. The second spot points out that it's a Senator's job to debate important legislation, and by voting to block debate last Saturday night, Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) showed he is fighting for the health insurance industry instead of fighting for Nebraskans.

The Arkansas ad titled “Stood Up” will air for a week starting today on broadcast and cable in Little Rock, Jonesboro, and Ft. Smith, Arkansas with a day off for Thanksgiving and a little extra exposure during Saturday night’s football game between Arkansas and LSU. The spot explains that the health insurance industry is spending millions trying to kill substantial reform and protect its profits. By voting to allow debate to start, Senators Lincoln and Pryor are doing what’s right for Arkansas and standing up to the insurance industry.

“We send our Senators to Washington to tackle big issues, and Senators Lincoln and Pryor clearly understand the importance and urgency of moving forward on health care reform,” said Candis Collins of Arkansas Health Care for America Now. “Their votes Saturday night showed they won’t be bought by big insurance and won’t be cajoled into doing the industry’s bidding. We look forward to their voting for legislation that ensures that families and businesses in Arkansas have good, affordable coverage.”

The Nebraska ad titled “First Job” will also air for a week starting today on broadcast and cable in Omaha and Lincoln with the day off for Thanksgiving and a little extra exposure during the Nebraska v. Colorado football game on Friday.

“Americans send Senators to Washington to debate big issues, but Senator Johanns wouldn’t even allow a debate on health care to take place,” said Richard Kirsch, National Campaign Manager, Health Care for America Now.  “By voting to block a debate on health reform, Senator Johanns did the bidding of the health insurance industry which wants to kill reform to protect its profits at our expense instead of doing his job. Even if Senator Johanns disagreed with the Senate bill, he should have voted to allow debate because that’s what Senators are elected to do.”

Arkansans and Nebraskans can no longer wait for health insurance reform. A significant driver behind skyrocketing premiums and increasingly unaffordable coverage is the lack of competition in the health insurance marketplace. Arkansas’ largest health insurer, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, controls 75 percent of the state commercial market. Together with UnitedHealth Group Inc., they control 81 percent of the market. Instead of driving down prices to compete for business, the two insurance giants – knowing that consumers have few alternatives - raise premiums to test just how much the market will bear. See the full report here (pdf).

A poll of Arkansas voters taken by Anzalone-Liszt from November 12-17 found that a majority of Arkansas voters support “[c]reating a public health insurance option that allows people to choose between their private insurance and a public plan.”

“Arkansans support giving people the choice of private or public insurance so it’s their decision what health coverage makes sense for their families,” said Collins. “We urge our Senators to join with the majority of voters and support giving families good, affordable health care, including the right to choose the insurance that’s best for them.”

In Nebraska, the same polling found a majority of voters also support creating a public health insurance option so that people have a choice between private and public health insurance plans. Health insurance premiums in the state are going up more than three times as fast as wages, and without reform, Nebraska's families will be spending 58% of their income on premiums by 2016. See the full report (pdf) here.

“Stood Up” Script:

Video:

Insurance industry skyscrapers given green money tint to them. SUPER: The insurance industry makes $25 billion a year in profit.

Change SUPER: MILLIONS to stop Senate from debating health insurance reform.

Capitol w/ SUPER or images of Lincoln and Pryor: Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor stood up to the insurance lobbyists.

Series of health care stills and shots of real people.

Capitol background with headshots of Lincoln and Pryor. 

SUPER:  Thank Senators Lincoln and Pryor for standing up to the insurance industry. 877-264-4226   

Audio and Documentation:

The health insurance industry makes $25 billion dollars a year in profit.

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.

No wonder the insurance lobby spent millions trying to stop the Senate from even debating health insurance reform.

Source: Public Campaign Action Fund, "Top Insurers Spend Heavily to Influence Debate on Health Care Reform," September 16, 2009. Accessed at http://www.campaignmoney.org/top_14_insurer_spenders

But our Senators, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, stood up to the insurance lobbyists. 

Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/senate/1/353

On an issue as important as health care, they know the people of Arkansas deserve a Senate debate.

Thank Senators Lincoln and Pryor for doing the right thing.  Thank them for standing up to the insurance industry.

“First Job” Script:

Video:

Slow push on still of floor of US Senate with Senators debating. SUPER: The first job of the U.S. Senate is to debate important legislation.

SUPER: But not for Senator Mike Johanns.

Image of Johanns with hands on head. SUPER: Johanns voted to STOP the debate on health insurance reform from even taking place.

Blur picture in background. 

SUPER: So who’s Senator Johanns really working for?

Slam on top of scene the health insurance skyscrapers. Add SUPER: Health Insurance Lobbyists are spending $700,000 a day to stop reform

Image of Johanns. SUPER: Tell Senator Johanns to work for us, not the insurance companies. 877-264-4226    Audio and Documentation:

The first job of the U.S. Senate is to debate important legislation.

But Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns must think that’s not part of his job.

Because Johanns voted to stop the debate on health insurance reform from even taking place.

Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/senate/1/353

So who’s he really working for?

The health insurance industry. 

They’re spending millions to stop health care reform, and they know they can count on Mike Johanns.

Sources: Public Campaign Action Fund, "Top Insurers Spend Heavily to Influence Debate on Health Care Reform," September 16, 2009. Accessed at http://www.campaignmoney.org/top_14_insurer_spenders

America's Health Insurance Plans, "AHIP Statement on the Release of Proposed Senate Legislation," November 19, 2009. Accessed at http://www.ahip.org/content/pressrelease.aspx?docid=28807

Tell Senator Johanns to work for us, not the insurance companies.