Asheville News

Question from Ashvegas reader: Have you received Blue Cross/Blue Shield mailer regarding Sen. Kay Hagan?

Jason Sandford October 28, 2009

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

Here’s the question:

Hello, Ashvegas, don’t know where to post this question elswhere on your blog, so here goes.

Have others in Asheville received calls and then mailers from Blue Cross/Blue Shield asking them to send a message to Senator Hagan opposing “government-run health insurance?” The postage-paid reply card is addressed to “Senator Kay Hagan, 701 Green Valley Road, Ste. 201, Greensoboro.” This apears to be the address of Senator Hagan’s husband’s office.

Two questions: why does Blue Cross/Blue Shield want these cards to go there, rather than to Senator Hagan’s Washington office? And two, how is Blue Cross/Blue Shield getting Kay Hagan’s husband’s law firm to pay the postage???

A third question. Has anyone else changed the card to read, “Please SUPPORT government-run health insurance. We canNOT meet our health care challenges without the government [crossed out unfairly] competing with the PROFIT-DRIVEN private sector.”

Knowing you are a good reporter, perhaps you can find the answers.

Loyal reader, thank you for this. Yes, I received the Blue Cross mailer just yesterday, as a matter of fact.

TalkingPointsMemo has more on the mailing.

Daily Kos says the mailing has backfired on Blue Cross.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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7 Comments

Gary James October 30, 2009

YES YES….You cross out all the negative and send it in as a BRE on their nickel. WOW. I’ve been in advertising and pr for 30 years and I can’t believe anyone was (dare I say) stupid enough to spend money on a BRE that could easily be altered. But, then again, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

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eemilla October 30, 2009

Actually, we have three health insurers in this area: BCBS, UHC, and Wellpath (with the latter two being only for groups). I’m calling both Senators (Burr and Hagan) and Rep Shuler to express my strong support for a public option. Even if we stuck with the health exchange plan, I bet it would be triggered has BCBS has like 80% of the market.

Heath Shuler Asheville 828-252-1651
Heath Shuler DC 202-225-6401
Kay Hagan DC 202-224-6342
Richard Burr 202-224-3154

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drowning in health care costs October 29, 2009

I don’t think it’s a good idea to cross out stuff and mail — you are right, they may just see the BCBS return address and think it’s another person opposing public option. Better to take the initiative to write a real letter or postcard, with your own postage on it! It won’t take that much longer.

BTW my family of 3 is paying $700 a month to BCBS for our very basic high deductible heatlh ins. So that means every trip to the doc is out of my own pocket til that outrageous deductible is met.

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Fed Up October 29, 2009

I did the same thing — re-wrote the copy to say that I support a public option. Of course BCBSNC is worried about a public option. It would actually give them some competition. In this market there are two providers of health insurance — BCBSNC and United Healthcare. Take a look at the salaries of the CEOs of these companies. They are the highest paid healthcare executives in N.C. Because there are only two insurers in our area, there is no competition. There is no negotiation with healthcare providers. They are basically told what the insurers will pay them. The smaller hospitals in WNC really take a beating. Insurance companies are a big part of our nation’s healthcare problem. We cannot let them derail healthcare reform again.

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Steve in NC October 29, 2009

This mailing raised the cost of health care by raising my blood pressure.

I don’t who’s paying the postage, but whomever it is, is paying for my message to Hagan SUPPORTING a strong public option. When I got the mailing, I crossed out the nonsense on the back of the card and put my own message in pen. Whether this is wise or not, I don’t know. Hagan’s staff may simply count the cards rather than looking at the back. I did it in anger.

I also asked a poor BC/BS worker yesterday about it when I called to ask about a claim. She put me on hold for a long time, then told me the mailing wasn’t a lobbying effort as I had said, but was an attempt to find out what subscribers think. I then tried to be gentle in asking her to pass along my objections to using premium dollars for this purpose. BC/BS is ostensibly non-profit. If its leaders object to a public option, let them lobby on their own dime — the CEO makes more than $2-million a year.

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keith October 29, 2009

the address is the senator’s state office headquarters. It is in a private building where protestors who want to protest will be escorted off the premises. Amazing that a senator will have a office in a private office building. just a side note on the address to send the letter to.

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Bruce Mulkey October 29, 2009

I revised the Blue Cross/Blue Shield mailer to Sen. Hagan to state that I strongly support a robust public option and would also be in favor of Medicare for everyone.

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