The Behind the Scenes Battle in the Health Care Debate

In August Murphy featured a post discussing the backroom deal between the White House and Big Pharma that was supposed to bring Pharma onboard for the healthcare reforms. Sadly, despite Obama's reprise of Homer Simpson selling his soul for a doughnut, Big Pharma's support might not really matter. The GOP and the usual band of reactionary talking heads have waged a filthy (and successful) campaign to scare the heck out of the American people on the issue of health care.

Since that post in August we've had Sarah Palin creating the spectre of 'death panels,' which she claimed was part of the health care legislation. (Which of the numerous plans in committee she was referring to is still unclear. But hey, it makes great copy.) Not to be outdone by the Rhodes Scholar from Alaska, The Honorable Senator from Iowa Chuck Grassley summoned the bogeyman to granny's door. Finally, we've seen perfectly reasonable citizens attending townhall meetings packing heat and toting signs featuring President Obama done up in Nazi regalia.

Because these types of stories sell newspapers, magazines and drive ratings on cable news channels (with almost no additional sensationalizing needed!), they have been on a constant loop in the media. Obviously, this is a tremendous boon to the insurance industry because it serves their goal of defeating reform. More importantly, however, it allows them to pursue policies that are vastly more effective than grassroots (or astro-turfed) campaigns executed by the frothing-at-the-mouth minions of Rush and Glen. And, with the mainstream media fixated on the Sarah Palins of the world, the insurance industry PR machine can operate free of the watchful eye (that might be a stretch; maybe just 'eye') of journalists.

A piece on salon.com today features the remarks of Wendall Potter. Mr. Potter was a communications officer for the health insurer Cigna. In the piece Mr. Potter discusses the great lengths the insurance industry goes to in order to inform and frame the debate on health care reform. Also, he discusses the industry's efforts to provide lawmakers with selective statistics to help them bolster their case for opposition to reform. The article is informative largely because Mr. Potter spent 20 years working for the insurance industry and was present for the last reform battles in this country.