BCBS of NC in hot water

[EriktheRed]

Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign​

A North Carolina health insurer is facing a major backlash in the wake of its campaign to enlist customers in the fight against health-care reform.

The state's Insurance Commissioner has begun an inquiry into a mailer sent recently by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina -- and first revealed last month by TPMmuckraker -- that urged customers to lobby Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) to vote against the public option. As we reported Tuesday, the state's Attorney General has opened his own probe of a barrage of follow-up robo-calls generated by the insurer. And state lawmakers continue to express their own and their constituents' outrage at the effort, with one legislator telling TPMmuckraker that some recipients of the mailer sent it back to BCBS attached to a brick.

Johanna Royo, a spokeswoman for Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, told TPMmuckraker that her boss is on the case. A group of North Carolina legislators on Tuesday sent a letter to BCBS-NC -- which controls 97 percent of the state's health-insurance market -- asking for information about the mailer. Said Royo: "We are requiring Blue Cross to respond to the legislators' letter." She added: "The Commissioner of Insurance understands the lawmakers' concerns."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Roy Cooper's probe of the robo-calls, which began last month, continues. A letter from Cooper's office to a state legislator, sent Monday and obtained by TPMmuckraker, suggests that the investigation may have forestalled further robo-calls from the health insurer. "We have since been informed that a planned second round of calls was postponed as a result of our inquiries," the letter says.

In a November 9 letter to BCBS-NC officials, also obtained by TPMmuckraker, Assistant Attorney General David Kirkman asked the company for a variety of information regarding its robo-calls, including a copy of each recorded message and an explanation of what criteria were used to determine who would receive the calls.

Robo-calls are illegal in most situations in North Carolina. Tax-exempt charitable and civic organizations are allowed an exception to this law -- BCBS-NC is organized as a non-profit -- but only if their calls clearly identify the caller, state the nature of the call, and provide contact information. Kirkman noted in the letter that "our initial assessment is that certain calls purported to be made on behalf of BCBS-NC do not appear to meet the third requirement of that exemption provision."

Whoops!


Read the rest Here:
Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign | TPMMuckraker

 

[toomuchtime_]

Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign​

A North Carolina health insurer is facing a major backlash in the wake of its campaign to enlist customers in the fight against health-care reform.

The state's Insurance Commissioner has begun an inquiry into a mailer sent recently by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina -- and first revealed last month by TPMmuckraker -- that urged customers to lobby Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) to vote against the public option. As we reported Tuesday, the state's Attorney General has opened his own probe of a barrage of follow-up robo-calls generated by the insurer. And state lawmakers continue to express their own and their constituents' outrage at the effort, with one legislator telling TPMmuckraker that some recipients of the mailer sent it back to BCBS attached to a brick.

Johanna Royo, a spokeswoman for Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, told TPMmuckraker that her boss is on the case. A group of North Carolina legislators on Tuesday sent a letter to BCBS-NC -- which controls 97 percent of the state's health-insurance market -- asking for information about the mailer. Said Royo: "We are requiring Blue Cross to respond to the legislators' letter." She added: "The Commissioner of Insurance understands the lawmakers' concerns."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Roy Cooper's probe of the robo-calls, which began last month, continues. A letter from Cooper's office to a state legislator, sent Monday and obtained by TPMmuckraker, suggests that the investigation may have forestalled further robo-calls from the health insurer. "We have since been informed that a planned second round of calls was postponed as a result of our inquiries," the letter says.

In a November 9 letter to BCBS-NC officials, also obtained by TPMmuckraker, Assistant Attorney General David Kirkman asked the company for a variety of information regarding its robo-calls, including a copy of each recorded message and an explanation of what criteria were used to determine who would receive the calls.

Robo-calls are illegal in most situations in North Carolina. Tax-exempt charitable and civic organizations are allowed an exception to this law -- BCBS-NC is organized as a non-profit -- but only if their calls clearly identify the caller, state the nature of the call, and provide contact information. Kirkman noted in the letter that "our initial assessment is that certain calls purported to be made on behalf of BCBS-NC do not appear to meet the third requirement of that exemption provision."

Whoops!


Read the rest Here:
Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign | TPMMuckraker

Why shouldn't they lobby their customers? I get my auto insurance from AAA, and I am barraged with advice from them on everything from where to get my auto repairs, what trips I might like to take, how much life insurance I should have, etc., as well as AAA's advocacy positions on traffic laws. What's the problem with a health insurance company telling its customers what it thinks about what the Dems are trying to pass off as health insurance reform?

 

[EriktheRed]

Why shouldn't they lobby their customers? I get my auto insurance from AAA, and I am barraged with advice from them on everything from where to get my auto repairs, what trips I might like to take, how much life insurance I should have, etc., as well as AAA's advocacy positions on traffic laws. What's the problem with a health insurance company telling its customers what it thinks about what the Dems are trying to pass off as health insurance reform?

Well, they apparently did something wrong under NC law.

 

[toomuchtime_]

Why shouldn't they lobby their customers? I get my auto insurance from AAA, and I am barraged with advice from them on everything from where to get my auto repairs, what trips I might like to take, how much life insurance I should have, etc., as well as AAA's advocacy positions on traffic laws. What's the problem with a health insurance company telling its customers what it thinks about what the Dems are trying to pass off as health insurance reform?

Well, they apparently did something wrong under NC law.

According to your link, the insurance commissioner is only requiring them to respond to legislators who don't like BCBS's position, and the Attorney General thinks there is a possibility that BCBS may not have provided contact information for people who received the robo call and wanted to respond. For those who find using a telephone directory challenging, this might be a problem.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign​

A North Carolina health insurer is facing a major backlash in the wake of its campaign to enlist customers in the fight against health-care reform.

The state's Insurance Commissioner has begun an inquiry into a mailer sent recently by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina -- and first revealed last month by TPMmuckraker -- that urged customers to lobby Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) to vote against the public option. As we reported Tuesday, the state's Attorney General has opened his own probe of a barrage of follow-up robo-calls generated by the insurer. And state lawmakers continue to express their own and their constituents' outrage at the effort, with one legislator telling TPMmuckraker that some recipients of the mailer sent it back to BCBS attached to a brick.

Johanna Royo, a spokeswoman for Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, told TPMmuckraker that her boss is on the case. A group of North Carolina legislators on Tuesday sent a letter to BCBS-NC -- which controls 97 percent of the state's health-insurance market -- asking for information about the mailer. Said Royo: "We are requiring Blue Cross to respond to the legislators' letter." She added: "The Commissioner of Insurance understands the lawmakers' concerns."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Roy Cooper's probe of the robo-calls, which began last month, continues. A letter from Cooper's office to a state legislator, sent Monday and obtained by TPMmuckraker, suggests that the investigation may have forestalled further robo-calls from the health insurer. "We have since been informed that a planned second round of calls was postponed as a result of our inquiries," the letter says.

In a November 9 letter to BCBS-NC officials, also obtained by TPMmuckraker, Assistant Attorney General David Kirkman asked the company for a variety of information regarding its robo-calls, including a copy of each recorded message and an explanation of what criteria were used to determine who would receive the calls.

Robo-calls are illegal in most situations in North Carolina. Tax-exempt charitable and civic organizations are allowed an exception to this law -- BCBS-NC is organized as a non-profit -- but only if their calls clearly identify the caller, state the nature of the call, and provide contact information. Kirkman noted in the letter that "our initial assessment is that certain calls purported to be made on behalf of BCBS-NC do not appear to meet the third requirement of that exemption provision."

Whoops!


Read the rest Here:
Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign | TPMMuckraker

Why shouldn't they lobby their customers? I get my auto insurance from AAA, and I am barraged with advice from them on everything from where to get my auto repairs, what trips I might like to take, how much life insurance I should have, etc., as well as AAA's advocacy positions on traffic laws. What's the problem with a health insurance company telling its customers what it thinks about what the Dems are trying to pass off as health insurance reform?

Interesting.........you allow insurance companies to tell you everything they want you to do (and in essence, are limiting your power of choice by telling you what they support), yet, you choose to say that a public option where the government is simply OVERSEEING (and we've got that today, with Congress' health care, the military, etc.), and making sure that things go according to plan, is actually running your life and limiting your power of choice.

Hypocrite much?

Same as the insurance companies.........hunh.............

 

[auditor0007]

Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign​

A North Carolina health insurer is facing a major backlash in the wake of its campaign to enlist customers in the fight against health-care reform.

The state's Insurance Commissioner has begun an inquiry into a mailer sent recently by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina -- and first revealed last month by TPMmuckraker -- that urged customers to lobby Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) to vote against the public option. As we reported Tuesday, the state's Attorney General has opened his own probe of a barrage of follow-up robo-calls generated by the insurer. And state lawmakers continue to express their own and their constituents' outrage at the effort, with one legislator telling TPMmuckraker that some recipients of the mailer sent it back to BCBS attached to a brick.

Johanna Royo, a spokeswoman for Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, told TPMmuckraker that her boss is on the case. A group of North Carolina legislators on Tuesday sent a letter to BCBS-NC -- which controls 97 percent of the state's health-insurance market -- asking for information about the mailer. Said Royo: "We are requiring Blue Cross to respond to the legislators' letter." She added: "The Commissioner of Insurance understands the lawmakers' concerns."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Roy Cooper's probe of the robo-calls, which began last month, continues. A letter from Cooper's office to a state legislator, sent Monday and obtained by TPMmuckraker, suggests that the investigation may have forestalled further robo-calls from the health insurer. "We have since been informed that a planned second round of calls was postponed as a result of our inquiries," the letter says.

In a November 9 letter to BCBS-NC officials, also obtained by TPMmuckraker, Assistant Attorney General David Kirkman asked the company for a variety of information regarding its robo-calls, including a copy of each recorded message and an explanation of what criteria were used to determine who would receive the calls.

Robo-calls are illegal in most situations in North Carolina. Tax-exempt charitable and civic organizations are allowed an exception to this law -- BCBS-NC is organized as a non-profit -- but only if their calls clearly identify the caller, state the nature of the call, and provide contact information. Kirkman noted in the letter that "our initial assessment is that certain calls purported to be made on behalf of BCBS-NC do not appear to meet the third requirement of that exemption provision."

Whoops!


Read the rest Here:
Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign | TPMMuckraker

Does anyone else besides myself find it disturbing that BCBS controls 97% of the state's health insurance market? Not only do they not want competition from the government; they don't want competition from anyone. Nothing like having a near monopoly.

 

[uscitizen]

Who wudda thunk that NC was a liberal haven?