When Lobbyists Write Bills
Reuters reports that WellPoint is under federal investigation for singling out breast cancer patients and dropping their coverage “based on either erroneous or flimsy information.” They also report that language in the House bill would have protected these women, but it was removed in the Senate version of the bill because “lobbyists for WellPoint and other top insurance companies successfully fought proposed provisions of the legislation.”
And who helped write the bill? The floor is yours Max Baucus!
And who is Liz Fowler?
Elizabeth J. Fowler serves as Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for WellPoint, Inc. Liz has more than 15 years experience in health services research and health policy. Prior to current job, she served as the Chief Health and Entitlements Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing health policy issues within the Committee’s jurisdiction, including Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, health tax issues and initiatives to provide health coverage for the uninsured. She played a key role in the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA).
2010 and 2012 will be interesting electoral years. While I don’t expect the Republicans to retake control of the House or Senate, and I certainly don’t expect them to be able to repeal health care insurance reform, my bet is that they get a lot of traction with hypocritical ads that (correctly) call out the Democrats for forcing people to buy a flawed and expensive product from a despised and abusive industry. Just like John Shadegg, Republican hypocrite, promises:
“Our product’s so lousy that lots of people don’t buy it. So we need the government to force people to buy our product. And, and stunningly [chuckle] that’s what the Congress appears to be going along with.”
