Posted by Rob
SayAnythingBlog
December 4, 2009
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, like many insurance companies across the nation, does not like what it’s seeing in the Democrat health care bill in Washington DC. So the company has been communicating its concerns with the public. And Democrats in North Dakota don’t like that and are threatening the company with legislative and regulatory action if they don’t pipe down.
After all, it’s not like this is a free country or anything.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A North Dakota state senator says recent Blue Cross Blue Shield opposition to some aspects of health care reform may prompt a response in the Legislature.
Bismarck Sen. Tracy Potter and Fargo Democratic Sens. Tom Fiebiger and Tim Mathern objected to a Blue Cross letter to policyholders about federalhealth care reform proposals. Fiebiger and Mathern met with company officials Friday.
The letter opposed any so-called “public option” for health insurance that would be run by the federal government. It said the federal health care package will force private insurance rates to rise.
The senators asked Blue Cross about the cost of the mailing.
Blues spokeswoman Denise Kolpack says it cost almost $22,400 for almost 216,000 letters. She says the cost was kept down because for most customers, the material was included in a regular required mailing.
Potter says the senators will consider drafting new disclosure rules for the Fargo health insurer.
What’s a little pathetic is that Republicans, including Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm, opened this door by kicking off a crusade against BCBS over executive compensation. And these are the sort of problems we create when we accept as legitimate government efforts to question and control spending and compensation at private companies.
Private companies are private. What they pay their employees is private. What they charge their customers is private. And if the company wants to oppose or support certain government policies, again that’s private.
The government has no business getting involved any more than the government has any business getting involved with the price of milk and bread.
