UnitedHealth Urging People to go to Tea Parties
Posted on August 19th, 2009 by Jason Rosenbaum in Profits Before People
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UnitedHealth, the country's second largest private insurance company, is urging its employees to attend the anti-health reform teaparties:
Last week, UnitedHealth Group–the second largest health insurance company in the country–sent out a letter to its employees urging them to call UHG's United for Health Reform Advocacy Hotline to speak with an advocacy specialist about health care reform. The advocacy specialist, according to the letter, is there to help UHG employees write personalized messages to elected officials, and to arm them with talking points to use at local events in order to better oppose the public health insurance option.
TPM has obtained the letter, which you can read here, but a UHG advocacy specialist was not willing to provide TPM with a copy.
However, a source who's insured by UHG–and who also obtained the letter–called the hotline on Tuesday and says the company directed him to an events list hosted by the right wing America's Independent Party, and suggested he attend an anti-health care reform tea party sponsored by religious fundamentalist Dave Daubenmire, scheduled for today outside the office of Blue Dog Rep. Zack Space (D-OH).
Remember what's happening at these events:
- The tea baggers partiers hung Representative Kratovil of Maryland in effigy
- They made Lloyd Doggett into the devil and shouted him down
- They made death threats against Rep. Miller
- They brought assault rifles to a town hall with President Obama
- They broke windows and got in fistfights
And they're being funded by Washington lobbyists.
Now, they're being helped out by UnitedHealth.
The insurance industry's own front group says it is for reform:
The Campaign for an American Solution is a grassroots effort whose mission is to build support for workable health care reform. The Campaign recently conducted a national listening tour in which health plans and Americans from all walks of life had candid, transparent discussions about how we can work together to improve health care.
And yet, UnitedHealth is asking people to go to events where there is no interest in substantive discussion, only shouting NO.
I think it's pretty clear which side the insurance industry is on.
Why do you want to give up all your Freedom? Our Rights were given to us by our Creator. The government is supposed to protect those rights. Socialized healthcare takes away our right to freedom of choice. After the writing of our Constitution, there was more progress in 200 years then there was in 5000 years prior. Stop being led around by your nose and believing everything your being told. Learn about the Constitution and what the federal governments role is supposed to be. I did and it changed my whole perspective. This is not about Democrat or Republican, Left or Right, Liberal or Conservative. This is about maintaining and protecting EVERYONE'S FREEDOM!!!
Wow, T.J. Do you think if you write it all in capital letters people will take you more seriously?
Freedom, aye? Evidently you won't agree that health care should be a human right, because that right is being violated as we speak. We are slaves to corporate domination, a profit driven sick-care system.
I would get into a Constitutional debate with you, but you went into a tirade of euphoric nationalism instead of addressing the real problems. I do not believe that you possess the intellectual stamina to process the unregulated health care system that we have no choice but to live with.
Your biblical and anti-government paranoia does not answer how we will protect those who HAVE health insurance and are in danger of losing everything while lobbyists and insurance company CEO's live like royalty off the premiums of millions of Americans.
You are not defending a flag. You are not defending your God. You are not defending 200 years of so-called progress.
You are defending big business. And they love you for it.
United Health Care & its Oxford unit are the worst insurance providers I've ever dealt with. They confuse everyone with having different names/different companies and single group account cards. UHC people have no idea what to do about Oxford and visa versa. They have not integrated the company's effectively. Right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing. People on the phone tell you to call the other company when there's an issue to resolve. Pass the buck…pass the responsibility…confuse…evade…hoping that we as consumers will give up and go away. Even when doctor's office sends copy of both sides of insurance member card, they bounce back and claim the patient is not covered and insurance is terminated - which of course is not the case at all. The level of incompetence is staggering.