As you all already know by now, Blue Cross Blue Shield has just came out with their opposition to a public option. Of course, they are against a public option; they currently operate a monopoly, and they want to continue enjoying their monopoly so that they can continuing to do things such as raising their customer's rates by as much as 44% on an annual basis without any repurcussions whatsoever.
In their response in opposition to a public option, they trot out all of the typical talking points (i.e. the government will put a buearacrat between you and your doctor, that care will be rationed, and that government can not do a good job of providing health care). Of course at the say time they argue that they can not compete fairly with a public plan, and that such a plan will drive them out of business. Our President recently summed up the incoherent nature of these arguments when he asked the following question. "Why would it drive private insurers out of business? . . . If they tell us they're offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can't run anything, suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That's not logical."
On it's website, BCBS asks the public to "protect [the] future healthcare options and those of your loved ones by [reporting fraud]" Fraud is defined as "the crime or offense of deliberately deceiving another in order to damage them – usually, to obtain property or services unjustly." In this case, it is clear that BCBS is trying to obtain additional money from it's customers by decieving them into believing that a public option will result in increased costs, ratiioned care, worse care, ect. when the exact opposite is true. They will be carrying out this deception on the public by spending a ton of money on lobbyists, campaign contributions to "friendly politicians," and add campaigns. The money that they will be spending is money that they have obtained through their monopolisitc, anti-competitive practices. In short, BCBS is committing insurance fraud! If they are allowed to succeed in their fraudulent efforts at derailing the public option in Congress, the result will be that thousands more will die due to a lack of health insurance!
Report Blue Cross Blue Shield's fraud! Let them know that we are on to them, and we not going to let them get away derailing the public option.