Consumer Watchdog Releases Health Insurer 'Lobbying Letters' Provided to Employees in Push to Weaken Senate Health Reform

Consumer Watchdog Releases Health Insurer 'Lobbying Letters' Provided to
Employees in Push to Weaken Senate Health Reform

United Healthcare Tells Employees to Oppose Public Option and Cost Reforms,
Demand Tougher Requirement for Consumers to Buy Private Insurance; CIGNA Urges
Similar Employee Action

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nation's largest health
insurance company, United Healthcare, launched a new push this week to get
employees to directly lobby U.S. Senators for weaker health reform and higher
insurer profits. The new campaign, in an e-mail sent to all employees Nov. 10,
offers employees template letters to send from company computers on company
time and urges them to write grassroots-style letters to the editor to local
newspapers. Consumer Watchdog, which obtained the letters, called on the
Senate and newspapers to reject this deceptive corporate-directed campaign.

(See the letters and company instructions for letters to the editor at end of
news release or at
http://www.ConsumerWatchdog.org/resources/UnitedHealthCare11-12-09.pdf )

The form letters call on the Senate to resist any publicly financed health
care option, prevent financial reform of bloated payments to private Medicare
Advantage insurance plans and enact tougher penalties on Americans who fail to
buy private insurance.

The instructions for writing a local letter to the editor do not suggest that
employees identify themselves as UHC employees, only that they "share their
unique perspective."

Health insurer Cigna also sent out a companywide e-mail urging employees to
contact lawmakers. Its talking points remain behind an internal e-mail
barrier.
(See Cigna excerpts below.)

This is United Healthcare's second major push to persuade employees to lobby
on behalf of the company. Consumer Watchdog protested the first campaign in
September as undue and possibly illegal political pressure on employees. The
company's new campaign states more strongly that the lobbying campaign is
voluntary. However, the company has access to email sent by employees, and it
explicitly tells employees to "share a copy with us" of any letters to the
editor. The company is likely tracking employee responses to the internal
email request, said Consumer Watchdog.

The message sent to all employees also says: "It is important that we, as
members of the health care industry and as individuals, make our voices heard
on this important issue. Therefore, we encourage you to actively participate
in this debate as both industry voices as well as individuals. Please take
action by writing a letter to your elected officials in Washington."

Consumer Watchdog said the request is intimidating.

"No United HealthCare employee would modify the lobbying letter to favor
Medicare-for-All, or even a modest public option, knowing that his or her
managers may be reading that e-mail," said Judy Dugan, research director of
the nonprofit, nonpartisan Consumer Watchdog. "They wouldn't dare to speak
against the company position unless they've already got a new job lined up."

Here are selected excerpts from the United HealthCare employee lobbying
letters.
1. "Medicare Advantage is working well for 11 million Medicare recipients
--
and more seniors are choosing MA to manage their health care needs
every
year. As you consider comprehensive health care reform, I urge you to
build upon what is currently working in the Medicare system and not
limit
the ability of seniors to access the program. Please preserve MA
funding
levels and enrollment opportunities so that seniors who like their
current coverage can keep it."
2. "I am concerned that the health care reform bills currently being
considered by Congress will not effectively ensure affordable and
sustainable health care options for all Americans. Government-run
health
care will result in millions of Americans not being able to keep their
current coverage and will lead to unintended consequences of higher
premiums and less choice."

3. "While I am writing to you as an individual, and the opinion I express
is
my own, I work at UnitedHealth Group, a company that has proposed
market
reforms that will guarantee quality, affordable and portable coverage
for
all, regardless of gender, health status, or pre-existing conditions.
However, as we have learned from experiences in various states, in
order
for these market reforms to be successful, they must be accompanied by
an
effective personal coverage requirement."

Consumer Watchdog said that the statement that "millions of Americans" will
lose their current coverage is the opposite of the current bills' specific
assurance that anyone may keep their current insurance. In excerpt No. 3, the
phrase "an effective personal coverage requirement" refers to insurance
company lobbying demands for higher IRS tax penalties than the current bills
contain against individuals who do not buy insurance policies under health
reform. The letters below also quote a Congressional Budget office statement
about reform costs wildly out of context. See the original CBO letter on
premium costs to which the quote refers here:
http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10618

The House of Representatives health reform bill passed last weekend contains a
modest public health insurance option only for individuals and small
businesses. The chief Senate bill, from the Finance Committee, does not allow
a public option. Both bills seek to control overpayments to Medicare Advantage
plans that average 14.5% more than the cost of caring for regular Medicare
recipients.
(See more on Medicare Advantage overpayments at
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=30336 )

Cigna's message to employees said:

"We believe that while the House bill expands access to health insurance, it
does not focus on controlling costs and improving the quality of health care
delivered -- both key elements to sustainable reform. Although the industry
advocated for provisions that would have improved H.R. 3962, the final
legislative language took a form that would not ultimately achieve these
goals.??...

"[W]e have a request of you. We ask that you act as emissaries for our company
and reach out to your elected officials to educate them on the work you do
every day. Tell them about the role you play in bringing high-quality health
services to millions of Americans, and that we as a Company share their goals
and aspirations for a better, stronger health care system.

"Be assured that the debate will remain contentious and the rhetoric may be
extreme at times. We will do all that we can to keep you informed of
developments and of the positions for which CIGNA is constructively
advocating."

Such employee lobbying comes at the expense of its customers, said Consumer
Watchdog.

"Employees will again be spending company time and resources to respond to the
lobbying request," said Dugan. "United HealthCare's customers should
understand that this employee lobbying is funded by their ever-rising health
insurance premiums."

(See Washington Post story at
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/2009/11/health_insurance_companies_urg.html
)

(See Consumer Watchdog's previous news release and attached documents on
employee lobbying at
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=29186 )

(See Los Angeles Times news story at
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=29228 )

The previous employee lobbying actions of WellPoint and United HealthCare are
still under investigation by the California Attorney General's office, though
hampered by the office's inability to keep employee complainant's names
confidential, said Consumer Watchdog.

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog

Judy Dugan, +1-310-392-0522, ext. 305, +1-213-280-0175 (cell), Carmen Balber,
+1-202-629-3043, or Jerry Flanagan, +1-310-889-4912, ext. 319, all of Consumer
Watchdog