August 17th, 2009

Health industry bullies proponents, nears "victory"

On Sunday Aug. 16 Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said in a live Fox News appearance that the public insurance option does not have the votes to pass in the Senate. Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus (D-MT) from the start of  consideration of health insurance reform refused to even consider a Medicare for all, single payer option as an alternative. At one meeting, he had 13 single payer advocates arrested.

Historically, committee chairs of the majority party can pass legislation out of committee whenever they want with strict majority votes (13 Democrats, 10 Republicans). However, Baucus chose a select group, which he dubbed the “coalition of the willing,” to craft new legislation. It included only 3 Democrats, including himself, and 3 Republicans and met in his office without public scrutiny. The result is a draft without a public insurance option designed to compete with the private plans. The House versions (e.g., HR 3200) contain this provision. This was President Obama’s original goal.

The Center for Responsive Politics compiled health industry lobbying and campaign contribution expenditures through June, 2009. The figures are staggering and help explain Congressional reluctance to adopt either single payer or public insurance options as part of any final “reform” package. Industry giving has been split nearly evenly between parties.

Pharmaceutical firms have spent $370.4 million on lobbying and $33.6 million on campaign contributions, with 51% going to Democrats, 49% to Republicans. Health insurers’ lobbying costs — $144.7 million — $22.8 million in contributions. Health professionals (physicians, dentists, nurses) spent $117.2 million lobbying and $105 million in contributions. Hospitals and nursing homes spent $151 million lobbying and gave $26.6 million to campaigns with 63% going to Democrats. Business PACs (tilting toward Republicans) spent $2.8 billion on lobbying and $433 million in contributions to oppose employer mandates.

Who supports the public insurance option? Unions (with Democrats as 92% of recipients) with $53.6 million spent on lobbying and $92.8 million in contributions. Nurses were the only health professionals to support a single payer plan ($1.9 million in lobbying, $866,891 in contributions with 79% going to Democrats). The AARP with its $37 million in lobbying is ambivalent about supporting the public option.

Industry opponents have outspent reform proponents approximately 43 to 1. Advocates for a public health insurance plan option spent $96.7 million, normally a large sum, but pale in comparison to the industry’s $4.2 billion. But does all that giving produce desired results?

Mike Dennison, writing for the Montana Standard discovered that one-fourth of Baucus’ campaign funds from 2003 through 2008, totaling $3.4 million (the most of any Congressman), came from drug companies, health insurers, hospitals, medical supply firms, and other health professionals. Sen. Grassley (R-IA) who stated publicly that people had reason to fear the so-called death panels, received a higher percentage 23.5% from the industry but a lower amount.

Tags: Baucus, Conrad, Grassley, nurses, Senate Finance Committee

This entry was posted on Monday, August 17th, 2009 at 9:47 am and is filed under Health Care, Social Justice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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