The Failure of Health Care Reform: An Insider’s View. Forbes.
Two major reasons why Obamacare happened. Government strong-arming private enterprise. Private enterprise rolling over without a fight.
First, the Obama administration and the Democrats who controlled Congress at the time made it clear that they would make life—and the ability to do business—hell for any insurer that fought them. I can recall talking to an insurance company executive in August of 2009, the summer of the huge rallies against ObamaCare, who told me he had a stack of red folders on his desk—demands from Democratic committee chairmen for various types of information. The message was clear: get on board with ObamaCare or expect to spend a lot of time answering committee demands, or testifying before Congress, or worse. So far I haven’t found anyone willing to speak out on the record about these strong-arm tactics—and probably won’t until 2013.
Second, the primary health insurance trade association, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)—which is run by, Karen Ignani, who worked as a Democratic Hill staffer and for the AFL-CIO—never took an aggressive stand against ObamaCare.
As much as no one likes being pushed into a corner, as much as the choices at hand may be so negative, following along sometimes means pure survival.
But when the American government rained down on the insurance industry to get its way, the insurance groups became accomplices by standing quietly, while the entire nation was sold out.
Big government and big business in the coven of flaming liberalism, coming together for a faux crisis. Just like the phrase goes, “Never let a crisis go to waste.”
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