Hello from Netroots Nation in the Lone Star State, Austin Texas.
I'm sitting in the beautifully air conditioned lobby of the Austin Hilton. The lobby here is a sea of bloggers and computers. There's free internet access and clusters of very comfortable arm chairs, so as you might imagine, we've turned it into one huge living room.
But despite all the noise and activity, lots of us are hard at work.
Here's the big news on the healthcare front. I just received an email from Mike Dundas the chief health care deputy city attorney in Rocky Delgadillo's office. Mike wanted to let me know that Rocky's office (The Los Angeles City Attorney), has filed a lawsuit against Blue Shield of California as part of the ongoing investigation regarding retroactive recission of health insurance policies.
And the great news is that Rocky Delgadillo will be at Netroots Nation on the health policy panel. Please join us, Saturday, July 19 Ballroom G at 10:30.
And doesn't it feel good to fight these bastards.
Here's a piece of the press release issued by Delgadillo's office late today.
L.A. CITY ATTORNEY ROCKY DELGADILLO FILES
CIVIL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST BLUE
SHIELD FOR ILLEGAL RESCISSION PRACTICES
Potential Penalties Well In Excess of $1 Billion; City’s Chief Prosecutor Continues Broader Investigation into Health Insurance Industry Practices
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, the City’s chief
prosecutor, today announced his office has filed a civil law enforcement action on
behalf of the People of the State of California against California Physicians’
Service, Incorporated – doing business as Blue Shield of California – and its
subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Life and Health Insurance Company, for
engaging in unlawful and deceptive business acts and practices, which have led
to the denying or delaying of authorization for thousands of health insurance
claims or the rescinding of coverage after initially issuing a policy.
"For decades, health insurers have gamed the system and reaped billions ," said
City Attorney Delgadillo. "The time has come to pursue judicial law enforcement
actions, and criminal prosecutions, to set things right."
"A few months ago we filed suit against Health Net and Anthem Blue Cross for
their efforts to exploit our broken health care system to maximize their profits at
the expense of consumers, and today, we’re seeking to hold accountable Blue
Shield of California for engaging in the same shameful conduct," he added.
http://www.lacity.org/...
Now that you've read what a fearless prosecutor has in store for this criminal company, I have a question.
Let's return for a moment to HCAN, the new $40 million "grassroots" healthcare reform movement supported by among others, MoveOn.
Please take a look at this very confusing email I received a few hours ago from HCAN.
In a few short paragraphs HCAN lays out every reason why this parasitic industry should be driven from the face of the earth. Yet the organization proposes to re-make the US healthcare system with the for-profit insurance industry they claim to despise, at the center. This makes no sense.
What gives? Why has HCAN totally ignored single-payer, the only viable solution to the US healthcare catastrophe? Why does HCAN slam the parasites yet want to condemn the American people to nothing more than the status quo with (if we're lucky) a little more regulation? I'm confused.
By the way, this is no grassroots organization. Grassroots organizations don't have $40,000,000 in the bank.
Methinks I smell a rat.
Here's the confusing email.
Since Health Care for America Now launched last Tuesday, thousands across America have told us which side they are on. The answer is clear: Americans don't want to be on their own with the insurance industry - we want quality, affordable health care we can count on.
The insurance industry will be fighting tooth and nail against us so we're going to need lots more help. Can you forward this email to five friends and ask them to support our campaign?
Every person in America is feeling the pinch of rising health care costs and sinking health care coverage. While insurance company profits have risen 1000% in the last five years, the typical American pays more for less coverage every year.
We need change!
We are planning a national grassroots campaign to take on the insurance industry and pressure members of Congress to make sure we have quality, affordable health care in 2009. The real fight won't take place in Washington but in cities and towns across this country as Americans of all stripes come together to demand results from their elected officials.
To get the change that we all desperately need, we need your help! Please forward this email to five friends and ask them to sign on.
Returning to Rocky for a moment.
The man has taken the lead. Once in a while you run into a public servant actually doing the work of the people.
Rocky is going all out after the insurance industryand he has his hands full since California is ground zero of the retroactive recission crisis catastrophe.
Keep in mind, HCAN wants to put your life and mine into the hands of criminal companies like Blue Shield of California.
You can ask Rocky at the Netroots Nation Health Policy Panel, if companies like Anthem Blue Cross, Healthnet and Blue Shield of California can be trusted to be responsible corporate citizens? Or more likely would he like to put a bunch of the executives into San Quentin?