‘We’ve done a lot more than you would think’: How the health-insurance industry is working to pull Democrats away from Medicare-for-all

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The health-insurance industry is working to pull Democrats away from Medicare-for-all. An audio recording from a health insurer's employee town hall reveals its strategy.

At a recent private event with employees, an executive at UnitedHealth Group said,"The last thing you want to do is become the poster child during the presidential campaign." By Jeff Stein Jeff Stein Economic policy reporter Email Bio Follow April 12 at 6:00 AM At a company town hall meeting in late February, a UnitedHealthcare executive assured employees that the private health insurance giant was indeed working to undercut support for Democratic lawmakers’ push for Medicare-for-all.

Congressional Democrats, including some of the party’s leading 2020 presidential contenders, are pushing proposals that would establish a single-payer health-care system in which all Americans would receive government insurance. Legislation in both the House and the Senate would outlaw coverage that is duplicative with generous government plans, reducing the multibillion-dollar health insurance industry to a small, supplemental role.

These private insurers have pushed for Democrats to instead focus on repairing the Affordable Care Act passed under President Barack Obama, arguing a more incremental approach could include extending health insurance to all Americans without requiring a radical transformation of existing markets. In the February meeting with employees, Nelson said the company opposes Medicare-for-all because it excludes the private sector, which he said does a better job of delivering health care than the government, and said he doubted how a single-payer system could be funded or effectively administered.

AHIP last summer also joined with insurers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as hospital associations and pharmaceutical companies, in forming a group called the Partnership for America’s Health Care. In February, the partnership — whose members spent $143 million on lobbying in 2018 — said it would begin a six-figure digital advertising campaign to oppose both Medicare-for-all and a public option that would allow Americans to buy into Medicare.

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M4A will never work, so please stop pushing it. Even doubling corporate and individual income taxes wouldn't be enough to pay for it. It would mean longer wait-times, lower quality and less medical equipment and innovation, along with the potential for heightened social unrest.

The health care industry needs an overhaul much more than immigration.

JStein_WaPo hey JStein_WaPo, thank you for this great article! i just wanted to point out the error in the last paragraph (:

Without a National Care Standard which eliminates litigation, we're going to go broke

Watchdogsniffer UHC is garbage company.

Try being an employee. The health insurance benefits they offer to employees are horrendous. The choices they offer in other markets wipe the floor. Employees have been on high deductible accounts forever. Tough to feel bad when we take it up the ass. UHC is cheap as fuck

Sorry they got a seat at the table last time and not only screwed the American people but actively attempted to overturn what they agreed to. Time to put them out of business. medicareforall

No shit! Get $ out if politics! This is the government of the people.

I'm more concerned that centrists in the Democratic Party will easily be pulled.

swineshine Dems - don't fall for this!

They sure would!🤦‍♂️

Stop lobbying. Stop paying CEO'S ridiculous salaries. Give that back to patients. Did you do that with you corporate tax scam money? Or worry about stock holders?

Big Pharma controls healthcare and the NRA controls gun laws...that's the corrupt FACTS!

My doctor said to me...'United Health Care is the devil.' I have family members in the medical field that say the same thing

Not surprised by this, same company that messed with cancer patients. -UHC Employee

UnitedHealth Care very good Plan. They really believe in PREVENTIVE care. One of the best Health insurance out there.

Thank God!! We don't need to bankrupt a system that Americans have been paying into since there 1st Job.

Something something. Greater good.

Do not try and bother them with facts. Cue the rationed health care where old people come last. Hug the old in your family today.

I’m assuming making health insurance actually affordable isn’t on the table?

Free Market vs Government Health Care Medical insurance especially when government tax payer funded just encourages raising prices. Laser Eye Surgery not covered; capitalism freedom success much lower cost compared to insurance covered laser surgeries!

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