It was an odd scene. There was Karen Ignagni, head of the health insurance lobby, introducing President Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Before the two women shook hands today at the insurance industry’s annual conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington DC, Ignagni said to Sebelius, “It is a delight to welcome you here today to speak with us.” A delight?
Sebelius has been heavily criticizing the health insurance industry in recent weeks, castigating insurers for double-digit premium hikes and rising profits. Meanwhile, the insurance industry just launched a seven-figure television ad campaign that blames hospitals and doctors for driving up health spending – the implication being that the Democratic reform bills don’t do enough to cut costs.
Both women were smiling at each other today, but I imagine they were simultaneously biting their tongues and grinding their teeth.
It’s hard to remember, but the health reform debate kicked off last year with only positive messages and television ad campaigns from insurers. But by the late summer, the Obama Administration needed a convenient enemy and the insurers filled the role. Things quickly turned bitter and ever since, Democrats have characterized insurers as heartless profit mongers. Insurers, angry that Democrats weakened the individual mandate – which would require all Americans to maintain coverage – have been hammering Democratic reform plans. Remember the misleading industry-funded study that claimed premiums for all Americans would go up under reform? Remember when Nancy Pelosi came right out and called insurers “villains”?
Not much has changed since then. The purpose of having Sebelius speak directly to the lobbyists and insurance executives who’ve been in her crosshairs is to feed the narrative that the White House is in confrontational mode, part of the strategy to get Democratic health care reform over the finish line.