Face-off: Kathleen Sebelius confronts insurers

politico ^ | 3/10/10 | CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN

[Nachum]

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confronted insurance executives at their annual conference Wednesday — challenging them to divert millions in anti-reform advertising dollars toward cutting premiums and reciting a litany of insurance horror stories, to a decidedly chilly response.

The head of the insurance lobby made clear later that she’s heard enough industry-bashing out of the White House.

[highlander_UW]

Hey, now 2.2% profit is just plain greedy...at least in the eyes of socialists.

[native texan]

Hooray for the Insurance Industry. Time to take a stand.

[Ben Mugged]

Hospital costs are rising because of illegals overwhelming the emergency rooms and urgent care centers and not being required to pay for it. The hospitals raise prices for those who can afford it to cover their unreimbursed expenses. The insurance companies see their costs rising so they raise their rates.

Fix the cause not the symptom. Get the illegals out of the system.

[cranked]

Pot calling kettle black.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I’d like to see someone tell the Obama White House to stop diverting millions of my tax dollars into a political battle for socialized medicine.

Don’t these people have REAL jobs to do? If not, why are we paying them?

[Russ]

She didn’t take questions because, like all her cronies in the administration, she is a coward and a bully. They can only dish it out. I curse the bunch of them!!

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

She’s a nincompoop!

Just read this on an Aussie blog;
“Nincompoop is an anagram with a spelling error for incompetence.”

[rcrngroup]

Why would the insurance industry execs sit still while a partisan hack Sebelius rips into them. They should have stood up en masse and told her that when 0bozo & the demoRATS put their own fiscal house in order, than to come back. They should have told her right in the middle of her speech to just STFU!!! Doing it after the meeting did not carry much weight. Sebelius should have been stood up to in the meeting and grilled as she has never been grilled before.

[Da Coyote]

“She’s a nincompoop!”

Nope. She’s an ignorant slut.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

I want to know why I pay over $2K a year for auto insurance! That’s for two adult drivers with clean records and:

- a 2009 compact car worth no more than $15K
- a 2006 model with over 80K miles (worth well less than $10K) and comprehensive coverage (that I’m thinking of dropping to just liability)
- a 2002 model about to turn 200K miles and with just liability coverage

And I have talked to other companies and they can’t match what I’m paying based on discounts we get for being with the same insurer for a long time.

Okay, I feel better now... I just needed to rant after paying my 1/2 year bill.

[freekitty]

Wouldn’t it be nice if they would kick her to the ground instead of joining her.

[chronicles]

What’s up with her eyebrows?

[thefactor]

Any of those cars financed? And it also heavily depends on your zip code. So you can thank the bad drivers in your area.

[Buckeye McFrog]

this is double-reverse ju-jitsu.

“I will have Kathleen go out and threaten you if you fight my health insurance reform plans, so that the public won’t notice that you have been doing absolutely NOTHING to fight my health insurance reform plans.”

[ozzymandus]

We Kansans are very happy to see Sebelius in the Obama administration. She was the stupidest, most incompetent, most dishonest governor we’ve ever had, and we’ve had some doozies. Her presence helps expose the incompetence of the Obama administration. It wasn’t until after she left for Washington that it became general knowledge that Sebelius had been president of the KS trial lawyer’s association. Just the person to lead the “reform” of health care.

[lucky american]

I'm so confused.
I thought the insurance companies loved this health care bill because it brought in millions of young people who don't have health problems .
It would generate billions of dollars in profits.
Am I crazy here?

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Any of those cars financed?

Yes, the 2009 model. But I could easily pay it off but the interest rate is so low that it seems my money is better spent elsewhere. However, my mind might change if you think it would reduce my insurance premium.

[thefactor]

Well, if a car is financed you need full coverage.

If you pay it off, you can drop your coverage levels and your premium will go down. However, your coverage is lowered.

It's just a function of how old you are, your driving history, marriage status, and where you live. Maybe get rid of one of the cars? Increase your deductible? Call your insurance company and give them some scenarios and see what is does to your premium.

[Martin Tell]

Have you spoken with that nice, perky girl named Flo on TV? You know, the one with all the make-up?

She seems real nice and eager to sell insurance policies real cheap.

Then there's that nice lizard chap...