Video From AHIP's Online Forum
Posted on August 25th, 2008 by Jason Rosenbaum in Profits Before People
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In just under three hours, Health Care for America Now members submitted over 1,000 questions and comments for America's Health Insurance Plans to respond to. I attended the live chat event and took a video afterward with most of the questions (I missed the first few due to connection issues). Judging by the questions Karen Ignagni answered, the fact that only 45 minutes were allotted for questions, and the lack of followups, it's unlikely the public's concerns were really represented.
Here is a video of the chat:
To recap:
- This event was entirely online, with questions submitted by email beforehand or screened by a moderator during the chat. Either way, there was a heavy dose of screening involved, and no followups.
- The event lasted for only 45 minutes, hardly enough time to discuss such an important issue. And Karen Ignagni's responses came extremely slowly. Maybe she was vetting everything she said with her corporate overlords before she typed it. At least that's what it looked like from the spin.
- The questions that were selected allowed AHIP to spin their answers to look like they were for a solution.
As soon as we're done compiling the questions you all submitted, we'll make them public and show you what the health insurance industry declined to answer. From a quick perusal of the questions, you folks asked some *excellent* things. Not surprisingly, they weren't chosen as part of AHIP's "listening tour."
Oh, and the next stop on their listening tour is this Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah. Not surprisingly, there is no word yet on a location or time.
Come on, AHIP. Publish the dates, times, and locations of these events so the public can speak it's mind. Otherwise, you're not really listening.
Did anyone see this in today's (8/26) Salt Lake Tribune? (http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10302288?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com)
It looks like AHIP is going to be in Salt Lake City tomorrow for the next stop on its "listening" tour - and this time the local Chamber will be involved.
Is anyone going to organize a protest?
This could be another opportunity to make our voices heard - we can't let insurance companies and businesses put profits before patients! The address of the event and time are below
– Jim
_______________
S.L. Chamber
Air your views
on health-care industry at forum
The Salt Lake Chamber and a health insurance trade association on Wednesday will provide a forum for members to air their views about the U.S. health-care industry.
Attending will be Karen Ignagni, CEO of American Health Insurance Plans, a trade group whose members provide health insurance coverage to 200 million people.
The 90-minute forum will be at the chamber, 175 E. 400 South, Suite 600, Salt Lake City, beginning at noon. An audio recording of the forum will be available at http://www.saltlake chamber.org on Thursday.
For information, call Marty Carpenter at 801-328-5056.
- Paul Beebe
Thanks for the tip! AHIP hadn't published the time and location on their website, but you found it for us!
I don't know if there will be a protest or not, but we'll try.
Hopefully the secret is out of the bag about the event tomorrow since it was in the paper.
It would be a great opportunity to let the insurance companies know where we stand. Hopefully HCAN will continue to fight the good fight in Salt Lake City.