Senator Kerry kicked some serious ass today in his speech at the committee hearing:
"The insurance industry ought to be ashamed of this report," said Sen. John Kerry (D) of Massachusetts in debate prior to the committee vote.
Senator Kerry, who has criticized the lack of a public-run insurance option in the bill, said the insurers’ action showed why a public option is necessary. And he painted the industry as an obstacle to reform.
"If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem," he said.
Christian Science Monitor
The best line?
The PriceWaterhouse study is "a powerful argument for why we have to have a public plan."
It is. Insurance companies have little to prevent them from gouging the public for their private profits. No anti-trust concerns, which leads to concentration of markets and near monopoly conditions. State regulators, like some in Congress, are too easily "influenced" by insurance company lobbyists ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$).
If the sun rises, they will raise rates. If the sun sets, they will raise rates. It doesn't matter: they will raise rates ... unless we create real competition by a public plan that does not need huge profits and can operate more efficiently.
John Kerrry is right: as I (and others like Congressman Weiner) said yesterday, AHIP [is] Making Case for Public Option For All
Here's firedoglake's liveblog of his remarks:
11:05 – Kerry has serious concerns by the lack of an employer mandate and will continue to try to get one added to the bill. Kerry calls the AHIP study yesterday a powerful argument for a public plan. He than rips the the PwC study paid for by the AHIP for being filled with errors and for overlooking most of the important parts of the bill. Point by point Kerry attacks the AHIP study.
Senator Kerry should have been President.
Update I: a bonus from Kitty in the comments. AHIP now out with TV ads scaring seniors. Spending over $1,000,000.
HuffPo: AHIP Million-Dollar Ad Campaign Targets Seniors
"Is it right to ask 10 million seniors on Medicare advantage for more than their fair share?" the ad asks. "Congress is proposing over 100 billion in cuts to Medicare advantage. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says many seniors will see cuts in benefits."
The ad is running many places:
The spot, according to a Democratic ad tracker is running in a variety of states, including Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Louisiana and Nevada. The money behind it is impressive. Slightly more than $1 million has been spent for it to air during a ten-day period beginning this past Monday (that total doesn't include expenditures in Pennsylvania, which the tracker didn't have readily available).
HuffPo: AHIP Million-Dollar Ad Campaign Targets Seniors
Update II: From Beachmom in the comments, quoting WSJ blog:
Kerry pivoted to say that he’ll push to include a new public health insurance plan in the bill once it moves to the floor. The current bill lacks such a plan and instead calls for the government to help set up nonprofit cooperatives designed to increase competition with private insurers.