Usually, high-powered insurance company lobbyists in Washington, DC takes a long, luxurious August vacation – but not this year. This year the lobbyists have turned their sights to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in a blatant attempt to hijack reform.1
After spending millions of dollars and employing thousands of lobbyists only to lose the battle against reform the insurance companies are desperate for any opportunity to weaken the new health care law.2 That’s why the lobbyists are targeting the NAIC – the new law tasks them with making recommendations on regulations to HHS Secretary Sebelius.
Click here to call your Insurance Commissioner and tell them you support tough regulations that make health care affordable and hold the insurance companies accountable.
Now is a critical time. The detailed rules and regulations written in the upcoming months will determine whether or not the new law fulfills its promise and the insurance companies know it. They don’t want anything to stand in the way of their profits and fat CEO salaries. The insurance companies have moved to a full court press to influence the NAIC and water-down reform.
Today HCAN held a press conference with Senator Al Franken (MN) and Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ-08) to shine a light on the need for regulations. HCAN released a report on how insurance premium rules will control costs for businesses and families.3 In May we delivered 30,000 of your public comments on insurance regulations to Secretary Sebelius and now we have to keep up the pressure.
The insurance companies are determined to subvert reform every step of the way. We have to tell the NAIC and show HHS that we want strong regulations that keep down costs and hold the insurance companies accountable.
In Solidarity,
Melinda Gibson
Health Care for America Now
1. Wendell Potter, Center for Media and Democracy, "State Insurance Commissioners Take Baton From Congress,"
