New TV Ad: No Competition = Sky High Prices In Health Insurance Markets
***Watch the Ad that Proves We Need the Choice of a Public Health Insurance Option: HealthCareForAmericaNow.org/Compete***
Washington, DC – Health Care for America Now (HCAN) – the nation’s largest health care campaign – launched a new television ad today emphasizing the lack of real competition in the health insurance marketplace and showing we need the choice of a public health insurance option to drive down costs and keep the insurance companies honest.
The ad titled “Compete” explains that because 94% of health insurance markets in the United States are considered anti-competitive by Department of Justice standards, costs continue to skyrocket. The ad uses Maine and Missouri as examples of states where just two health insurance companies control 88% and 79% of the market respectively and points out that in North Dakota, just one company controls 89% of the health insurance market.
“Health insurance companies are exempt from antitrust regulations, and as a result, a small number of very large companies have almost total control of the health insurance marketplace. These big insurers aren’t competing for our business by lowering costs. Instead, they are driving up prices as high as the market will bear because they know we have nowhere else to turn,” said Richard Kirsch, National Campaign Manager, Health Care for America Now. “We need the choice of a public health insurance option in the marketplace to inject real competition. Private insurers will have to work a lot harder to get costs under control and put people’s health before their profits if they know consumers have a viable health insurance alternative that’s not beholden to Wall Street.”
In May, Health Care for America Now released a national report (pdf) and state-specific reports detailing the extreme consolidation in the health insurance marketplace, and during a conference call debuting the report, Senator Chuck Schumer said, “This is the starkest evidence yet that the private health care insurance market is in bad need of some healthy competition. A public health insurance option is critical to ensure the greatest amount of choice possible for consumers.”
“Compete” script:
Video
Fade up on black screen with type: What’s the real problem with health care costs?
Black screen falls away to reveal an animated field of high rise buildings. SUPER: Lack of competition.
We move through the animated field, dwarfed by the buildings. SUPER: Health Insurance Companies. Driving prices up. Keeping competition down.
The buildings thin out to reveal USA map. Snap zoom into Maine.
SUPER: 2 Insurance Companies control 88%
Source: American Medical Association
Snap zoom into Missouri.
SUPER: 2 Insurance Companies control 79%.
Source: American Medical Association
Snap zoom into North Dakota.
SUPER: 1 Insurance Company controls 89%
Source: North Dakota Insurance Department
Snap pull out to reveal entire USA map.
SUPER: 94% not competitive
Source: American Medical Association
Transition to full screen graphic with logo, URL and SUPER: We need real competition to lower costs. We need the choice of a public health insurance option.
Audio:
What’s the real problem with health care costs?
Lack of competition.
Huge insurance companies driving prices up by keeping competition down.
Source: Health Care for America Now, “Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market,” May 2009. Accessed at http://hcfan.3cdn.net/1b741c44183247e6ac_20m6i6nzc.pdf.
In Maine, only two companies control 88% of the market.
Source: Health Care for America Now, “Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market,” May 2009. Accessed at http://hcfan.3cdn.net/1b741c44183247e6ac_20m6i6nzc.pdf.
In Missouri, two control 79%.
Source: Health Care for America Now, “Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market,” May 2009. Accessed at http://hcfan.3cdn.net/1b741c44183247e6ac_20m6i6nzc.pdf.
North Dakota one insurance company -- 89%
Source: Health Care for America Now, “Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market,” May 2009. Accessed at http://hcfan.3cdn.net/1b741c44183247e6ac_20m6i6nzc.pdf.
In fact, across America 94% are not competitive
Source: Health Care for America Now, “Premiums Soaring in Consolidated Health Insurance Market,” May 2009. Accessed at http://hcfan.3cdn.net/1b741c44183247e6ac_20m6i6nzc.pdf.
We need real competition to lower costs.
We need the choice of a public health insurance option.
***Watch “Compete” Here: HealthCareForAmericaNow.org/Compete ***
