Today I read very interesting article “How corporate P.R. works to kill healthcare reform” by Wendell Potter, formerly a communications officer for the private health insurer Cigna, is now the Senior Fellow on Health Care for the Center for Media and Democracy.
He explains how since the late 1998 Health Benefits Coalition (formed by insurers) supported conservative talk in the media. The message was that President Clinton is trying to pass healthcare plan as a pay back to Democratic Party by advancing government agenda in healthcare sector. The author of this article also mentioned that “the P.R. firm also activated conservative allies and enlisted the support of conservative talk show hosts, writers and editorial page editors to warn against a “government takeover” of the U.S. care system. That is a term the industry uses often to scare people away from any additional involvement of the government in healthcare.” They also placed ads in media saying: "In America, you wait in line to see a movie. In government-run health care systems, you wait to see a doctor.”
Other activates of PR firm also included grass-roots and grass-tops campaigns. But another more subtle tactic was to provide “accurate” information and to “educate” Congress. “United Health Group in particular, have been hard at work behind the scenes providing a treasure trove of data to key senators. If lawmakers believe the information and date the insurers are feeding them is comprehensive and objective.”
Some call it “black” PR. I always thought that suck PR was done by tobacco corporations, but it is hard to except such actions from insurance companies… Such campaigns to manipulate public opinion scared Americans from Healthcare reform that will benefit them.
He explains how since the late 1998 Health Benefits Coalition (formed by insurers) supported conservative talk in the media. The message was that President Clinton is trying to pass healthcare plan as a pay back to Democratic Party by advancing government agenda in healthcare sector. The author of this article also mentioned that “the P.R. firm also activated conservative allies and enlisted the support of conservative talk show hosts, writers and editorial page editors to warn against a “government takeover” of the U.S. care system. That is a term the industry uses often to scare people away from any additional involvement of the government in healthcare.” They also placed ads in media saying: "In America, you wait in line to see a movie. In government-run health care systems, you wait to see a doctor.”
Other activates of PR firm also included grass-roots and grass-tops campaigns. But another more subtle tactic was to provide “accurate” information and to “educate” Congress. “United Health Group in particular, have been hard at work behind the scenes providing a treasure trove of data to key senators. If lawmakers believe the information and date the insurers are feeding them is comprehensive and objective.”
Some call it “black” PR. I always thought that suck PR was done by tobacco corporations, but it is hard to except such actions from insurance companies… Such campaigns to manipulate public opinion scared Americans from Healthcare reform that will benefit them.
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