A brother blogger sent this along for our consideration. I post first the original email. Seems that BCBS is spending some of its obscene profits to protect future obscene profits.
Voice Your Opposition Now to a New Government-Run Health Insurance Plan
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), strongly supports thoughtful health care reform that controls costs, provides all Americans with access to health insurance coverage, and improves the overall quality of our health care system.
But Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and many of our state's employers are concerned about a proposal currently being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives to create a new government-run health insurance plan to compete with private insurers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas believes that a government-run insurance plan as described in the House proposal would:
· severely damage the current employer-based system for providing health benefits;
· exacerbate cost shifting;
· eventually squeeze private insurers from the market;
· cause employers to lose any ability to manage the costs of coverage, while still accountable for continued contributions; and
· jeopardize delivery system reforms critical to controlling costs.
Over the years, employers together with private insurance plans, not government health care, have led the way in innovations such as chronic disease management, preventative wellness programs and centers of excellence.
Please make your voice heard in opposition to a new government-run health plan by sending an e-mail message to your representative in Congress today. Let him or her know you support health care reform, but believe a new government-run health plan is not necessary to achieve meaningful reform. Your perspective and expertise on this issue is vitally important to this effort and we thank you in advance for your interest and your advocacy.
Please click to take action. Please Note: When you click this link to take action you will be directed to HCSC's Advocacy Web Site. To contact your Representatives, please click TAKE ACTION NOW! on the right side of the page to begin. We have provided a pre-written message, but feel free to personalize it.
Once you have taken action, you will be asked if you would like to forward this action alert on to a friend. We encourage you to forward this action alert on to your colleagues and any one else who might be interested in making their voices heard.
For more information on our grassroots efforts or if you have any questions about this action alert, please send an e-mail to HCSCGovernmentRelations@hcsc.net.
Health Care Service Corporation, 300 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601 United States
So, BCBS, how come you are using your customer's premiums to fight your political battle to protect your rates against competition? How come you sons of guns get to keep on running the present, super expensive wasteful system while millions of Americans go without insurance.
By several measures, health care spending continues to rise at a rapid rate and forcing businesses and families to cut back on operations and household expenses respectively.
In 2008, total national health expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent -- two times the rate of inflation.1 Total spending was $2.4 TRILLION in 2007, or $7900 per person1. Total health care spending represented 17 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
U.S. health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade reaching $4.3 TRILLION in 2017, or 20 percent of GDP.1
In 2008, employer health insurance premiums increased by 5.0 percent - two times the rate of inflation. The annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $12,700. The annual premium for single coverage averaged over $4,700.2
Experts agree that our health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, and inappropriate care, waste and fraud. These problems significantly increase the cost of medical care and health insurance for employers and workers and affect the security of families.
I bet you have and I bet you honestly can't get past your bottom line long enough to care. You got yours, screw everyone else. Well, hopefully we have gotten over that plague of selfishness. It's so Republican and so last year. Hopefully, we will send your and yours a message when the reform bill finally passes, over your prone body if necessary.
