Health Care Advocates Ask Insurance Commissioners: Which Side Are You On?

By the Backbone Campaign –

On Monday, August 16, a terrific creative action to challenge the collusion between corporate and elected power was organized by Backbone Campaign’s Roger Fulton with support from Jared Middle Calf and crew. We joined with collaborating Heath Care activists in a great demonstration outside the conference of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), while the lobbyist vultures divided the spoils of the Obama plan inside.

Briefly…

• Federal Health Care legislation (PPACA) was signed into law last March
• That law requires the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) to advise HHS on how to implement key areas of PPACA
• These 50 state commissioners met in Seattle Aug 12-17
• In addition to the commissioners, ~1400 lobbyists for Corporate Medical Insurance and Big Pharma attended to “help” the commissioners with their recommendations

We were there to challenge these public servants — the 50 insurance commissioners — with, “Which Side Are You On?”…Count Bleed-Ya-Dry representing insurance industry – OR – We The People? The tug-of-war continues.

During this successful event, all 200 of our flyers were passed out, and we had lots of opportunity to interact with passersby. Wendell Potter, former CIGNA insurance executive who is now a champion of universal, cost-effective health care, stopped by and briefly chatted with us. While in Seattle to attend the NAIC conference as a consumer representative, he was interviewed on the Countdown with Keith Olbermann program. Watch this very informative interview here.

Lastly, our huge thanks goes out to Bob Wickline, whose “Hootenanny-style” singing took the event to a higher level of effectiveness and fun!

This event was cosponsored by…

Physicians for a National Health Program – Western Washington
United for Single Payer
Health Care For All – Washington
The Backbone Campaign