Subject: [big campaign] AHIP Spox: Lack Of Competition Is "A Problem That Doesn't Exist"
From: Adam Jentleson <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]'" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:38:28 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

A few minutes ago on MSNBC, AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach claimed that the glaring lack of competition among insurance companies is "a problem that doesn't exist."  (Watch the clip here, at about 2:10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBhZaFSFHzs)

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth:

*       AMA Study: 94% of health insurance markets in metro areas are "highly concentrated."<http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/03/09/bisb0309.htm>

*       CAP/HCAN study: In 21 states, one carrier alone controls more than half of the market<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/pdf/health_competitiveness.pdf> - and in at least 39 states, two carriers together control more than half the market.

*       AP: "Competition Lacking Among Private Health Insurers... Even lawmakers opposed to a government plan have problems with the growing clout of the big private companies."<http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=8389044>

How can the insurance companies be trusted to solve the problem when they claim it "doesn't exist"?

-----
Adam Jentleson
Communications Director, Progressive Media
Center for American Progress Action Fund
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>
ajentleson (AIM)
202-247-8614 (cell)

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