Aetna CEO: I’m Focusing On Getting Something Done That’s Good For Us…I Mean, ‘The American People’
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on September 17th, 2009 4:35 am by HL
Aetna CEO: I’m Focusing On Getting Something Done That’s Good For Us…I Mean, ‘The American People’
Health Care for America Now (HCAN), a pro-reform health care advocacy group, started a new advertising campaign on Tuesday that calls for a public option. “The commercial, entitled ‘How to Get Rich,’ says the insurance industry is motivated by greed.” It references Ronald Williams, chief executive of Aetna, who received a compensation package of $24 […]
Health Care for America Now (HCAN), a pro-reform health care advocacy group, started a new advertising campaign on Tuesday that calls for a public option. “The commercial, entitled ‘How to Get Rich,’ says the insurance industry is motivated by greed.” It references Ronald Williams, chief executive of Aetna, who received a compensation package of $24 million in 2008. Watch the ad:
Appearing at a Morgan Stanley healthcare conference yesterday, Williams said, “I continue to believe that there is not the support, particularly in the Senate, for a government plan.” He told the audience that a public option could affect the health insurance companies’ profits over time. “[E]mployers might very well choose to take advantage of the government rates and that long-term it’s not good for the healthcare system.” By which, Williams means it’s not good for Aetna.
Earlier this week, Williams was interviewed on Fox Business, where he urged President Obama to focus on the “80 percent” of things they can agree on. In an ironically revealing moment, Williams stumbles when he tries to explain his priorities for health reform. “Our focus is really on trying to get something done that’s good for the — American people,” he said, hesitating and pausing with his mouth hanging open before mustering out the last two words. Watch it:
Last month, Williams pledged to pursue profits rather than add or keep enrollment. “We have a clear bias toward profitability over growth,” he told investment analysts.
Full disclosure: HCAN is currently running paid ads on ThinkProgress.
Ignoring Her Own Anti-Union Record, Bachmann Claims ?I Am Not Anti-Union?
Yesterday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) appeared on Fox Business with former Ambassador Alan Wolff and author Philip Dine to discuss the punitive duties that the United States recently levied on tire imports from China, which China has brought up with the World Trade Organization. During the conversation, Dine, who wrote a book on unions, implied […]
Yesterday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) appeared on Fox Business with former Ambassador Alan Wolff and author Philip Dine to discuss the punitive duties that the United States recently levied on tire imports from China, which China has brought up with the World Trade Organization. During the conversation, Dine, who wrote a book on unions, implied that the effort may have been the administration trying to “throw something labor’s way” because “they don’t have very much to show” for their support of Obama in 2008.
Later in the segment, Bachmann took “a contrary view,” claiming that “the administration has done a lot for the unions,” citing the stimulus bill. “And I am not anti-union, but I think its clear the unions has a very large say in Washington, DC,” said Bachmann. Watch it:
Responding to Bachmann, Dine said that “it’s absurd to say the unions are running the show in Washington. If they were, their number one priority, the Employee Free Choice Act, would not be languishing in Congress.” Ironically, though Bachmann claims she’s not “anti-union,” she has called their top priority “un-American.”
According to Project Vote Smart, Bachmann’s voting record can hardly be called pro-union. For instance, here is how union groups rated her in 2008:
– Representative Bachmann supported the interests of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees 14 percent in 2008.
– Representative Bachmann supported the interests of the Latin America Working Group 0 percent in 2008.
– Representative Bachmann supported the interests of the Service Employees International Union 16 percent in 2008.
– Representative Bachmann supported the interests of the Utility Workers Union of America 0 percent in 2008.
– Representative Bachmann supported the interests of the United Food & Commercial Workers 6 percent in 2007-2008.
In the same year, Bachmann received a 94 percent rating from the Chamber of Commerce. Though she now claims she’s “not anti-union,” Bachmann has an 85 percent lifetime rating from the Chamber of Commerce, which “earmarked $20 million in 2008 and 2009 to defeat card check, on top of $35 million to elect business-friendly lawmakers in 2008.”
