CNN Anderson Cooper - Whitehouse Retribution - Strong Arming Insurance Companies To Silence Them

Is there such a thing as a triple face palm? Can I borrow someones hand?

reply to post by elouina

reply to post by boncho


I was under the impression Darth Vader didn't hang his cape up when he got home.
I have a hard time imagining insurance companies hating Obamacare for forcing the public to buy their products.
So what's up with this public sparring?
Kind of like the way 2 people who are having an affair pretend to not recognize each other in public.

reply to post by Snarl

LOL ... you ain't the first person on ATS to figure out I wasn't born yesterday. The ACA is not what is important. The ACA is a distraction for the GOP rape and demise of Social Security. In Washington one hand is always washing the other.

There are plenty of things going on, I wouldn't say one way or the other the purpose of it all. Often there are dozens of camps all pushing for their own end so none of it makes sense in public light.

Please ... stop picking on the OP. Elouina did a fine job with her post. Every time this happens it's one more blow to the 'purple' monster. It's okay to be initially divided on the issues as long as we come out stronger together on the other side.

I'm not picking on the OP. I'm addressing the fact that Anderson Coopers blabber is irrelevant. A corporation that spends 70 million to lean into congressional ears does not have "The right to free speech", and anyone who believes that they should, is a sellout and does not understand the very fundamentals of free speech.

Corporations get many breaks (I know, I have one) that regular people do not, as well, people are given many rights that a corporation can't really use (or shouldn't), it's as simple as that.

And in this case, with what you mentioned, that executives are supposedly being told not to speak, in fear of retaliation of the white house, it's either:

Option 1: Obama reneged on something he was lobbied for (how are lobbies not bribes, where does 70 million actually go?)
Option 2: then it is a fiction, to make it look like they are against it when they are indeed for it, or
Option 3, it mentioned trade associations, which have their own agendas (but usually represent the industry as a whole) which I don't find that swaying.

Option 1 or 2 sounds promising.

It's okay to be initially divided on the issues as long as we come out stronger together on the other side.

Believing anything the media or the government or the industry says about ACA, I do not believe makes you "stronger" in any sense, hence my resignation to ever take a position on it (because there are no facts), all opinions, politics, etc.

Even what you raised, is flimsy at best, (I had trouble finding concrete sources, although one wouldn't expect to really) yet, I also find it one of the most plausible explanations there is so far. My reluctance to take a position on ACA was completely due to the fact that I could not find any good, reliable information on it.

I will stand by any position I've taken, including that Anderson Cooper saying he heard a bunch a stuff from a bunch of insurance execs is about as useful as Mitt Romney speech.

Cheers.

Asktheanimals
reply to post by boncho

 

I was under the impression Darth Vader didn't hang his cape up when he got home.
I have a hard time imagining insurance companies hating Obamacare for forcing the public to buy their products.
So what's up with this public sparring?
Kind of like the way 2 people who are having an affair pretend to not recognize each other in public.

Insomnia, moodiness, who knows. The proof is in the pudding, I'm an irritable prick at work, at home, and on ATS, therefore the insurance fellas must be the same.

What's that make Anderson Cooper?

boncho
And in this case, with what you mentioned, that executives are supposedly being told not to speak, in fear of retaliation of the white house, it's either:

Option 1: Obama reneged on something he was lobbied for (how are lobbies not bribes, where does 70 million actually go?)
Option 2: then it is a fiction, to make it look like they are against it when they are indeed for it

Hated deleting anything from your post, but I want to draw focus.

I say look to Option 2. Being the pessimist I am, I see the Obamarama administration doing the one thing all administrations attempt: Raise taxes. I grudgingly respect what's going on here because they have had immeasurable success. The ACA is the replacement for Social Security ... and ... I can see it absorbing all revenues currently generated by SS, Medicare, and Medicaid as a final compromise which completes the 'Newest Deal' with the American people. Expect at least a decade to tie all the loose ends up.

As Beezzer so aptly pointed out, there's no way anyone could reasonably expect to cough up over a grand a month in premiums and still face a $10K deductible. If you don't have the coin ... you don't have it. People in government are actually a lot smarter than this. If we're figuring it out for ourselves, TPTB had it ALL figured out 10 steps ago. Sheople are just being moved from one corral to the next.

If you're not seeing 'why' this all happened, go back and look at AIG specific to TARP. Before you look, ask yourself this question, "Why would a corporation like AIG, one that by law must retain a huge cash reserve, EVER need to be bailed out?"

As for the insurance execs being 'told' not to speak. That probably didn't come from the White House, it was probably whispered into their ears by one of their own paid advisors ... and a couple of sentences were run together to cast aspersions on the gubment and keep the corporatocracy clear of the blast radius.

This is a very tangled web and I lack the wits to sort out much more than the biggest pieces. There are a LOT of smart folks like you on this site and I'm looking forward to seeing what else you discover.

Zarniwoop

Government backed plans accounted for about 48 pct of healthcare policies last year… a number that’s expected to grow this year and years to come, so basically,the insurance companies are forced to be quiet for basically their biggest source of income.

Have the insurance companies suddenly decided to become altruistic?

What am I missing here?

Yah...this got my attention.

Someone please explain this bit to me.

"Government backed plans accounted for 48% pct of Healthcare Policies last year"????

This is before Obamacare implementation.

Are private insurers still private insurers if "their biggest source of income" aka RECORD PROFITS derive from taxpayer funds/government???

Seems they want the best of both worlds? Taxpayer money without taxpayer regulation/oversight?

And it seems the whole argument of "Private" market healthcare is more than a little weak in this context?

Someone please explain..

reply to post by elouina

These executives feel defenseless against the White House PR team and are fearful about retribution.

You have to wonder.

What?

Why so fearful?

What sort of retribution?

Some have stated that they do not believe there are any mom and pop insurance companies out there. I happen to know this is a mis conception. I know of at least 4 of them in my area. They are relatively small though. Still this TAX LAW is going to cut into their business so much so they will prolly have to shutter the whole business.

yuppa
Some have stated that they do not believe there are any mom and pop insurance companies out there. I happen to know this is a mis conception. I know of at least 4 of them in my area. They are relatively small though. Still this TAX LAW is going to cut into their business so much so they will prolly have to shutter the whole business.

edit on 13000000ppam by yuppa because: wording

You are probably thinking of an insurance broker, not an insurance company. Insurance companies are very large financials with billions in leverage.

From an inside source you can make anywhere from 10-50% return on insurance, with a 10 million dollar investment or more. Whether you will take word on that is up to you, (I can't offer proof.)

I can however point you to Berkshire A stock, Warren buffet's company, which has increased in size and profit margins considerably over the last 20 years, outperforming nearly every index there is. It's about $174,000 per share right now. His empire was built on insurance.

Stormdancer777
reply to post by elouina

 

These executives feel defenseless against the White House PR team and are fearful about retribution.

You have to wonder.

What?

Why so fearful?

What sort of retribution?

edit on 103131p://bWednesday2013 by Stormdancer777 because: (no reason given)

Now this is the right question. I have been waiting to see what develops in this respect. Is it just fear for their jobs, or more?

Egads.. I was just checking out CNN's top political news for the first time in months. And you know what? It reads like my list of threads on my profile page. Now that is very very funny! We have lift off!

reply to post by boncho


Insurance companies margin of profit is really not that much.

amfirst1
reply to post by boncho

 

Insurance companies margin of profit is really not that much.

On paper of course. But if you take 100, and it's leveraged to 10,000 and you earn 1000 off it… well…

Since around 1970 underwriters have posted losses, what is really going on is anyone's guess. But calculating profit/loss is a lot more complicated than a person counting their nickels. And what someone actually gets to take home, and what it is calculated as, is not really a accurate representation of what's going on. What a corporation posts in what category is about as arbitrary as "this line that line".

The complexity of the financial system is exactly what has allowed it to evolve to the point it is now. You can argue Greenspan economics till you are blue in the face, but in small towns it's referred to as cow patties.

Oh, noooooooooooooooooow he's on board with the people. roll my eyes

boncho
reply to post by elouina

All along I have been aware of the Obama admin pressuring the insurance agencies to hide issues with the roll out. But it refreshing to see Anderson Cooper reporting on this, and in an alarming way. The White House is trampling the freedom of speech of the insurance companies to keep them from publicly criticizing the Obamacare roll out.

 

Dear god were you brainwashed as a child??? "The insurance companies right to free speech" !! It's a damn corporation, they shouldnt have free speech!!!!!!!!!

You do realize services were not allowed to even market themselves to the public in the past do you not!!!??

Meaning, lawyers, insurance brokers, etc, were not allowed to sway public opinion!

Facepalm x infinity

You're completely right but I think you're missing the point of what's going on. Why is CNN reporting on this? If CNN is reporting this, something is horribly wrong. Either they are going full scale 180 on this law as a failure to promote single payer as the only option or Obama just got the strings cut above him.

Shill mainstream media doesn't just abandon their sole mission in life for no reason.

Helious

boncho
reply to post by elouina

All along I have been aware of the Obama admin pressuring the insurance agencies to hide issues with the roll out. But it refreshing to see Anderson Cooper reporting on this, and in an alarming way. The White House is trampling the freedom of speech of the insurance companies to keep them from publicly criticizing the Obamacare roll out.

 

Dear god were you brainwashed as a child??? "The insurance companies right to free speech" !! It's a damn corporation, they shouldnt have free speech!!!!!!!!!

You do realize services were not allowed to even market themselves to the public in the past do you not!!!??

Meaning, lawyers, insurance brokers, etc, were not allowed to sway public opinion!

Facepalm x infinity

You're completely right but I think you're missing the point of what's going on. Why is CNN reporting on this? If CNN is reporting this, something is horribly wrong. Either they are going full scale 180 on this law as a failure to promote single payer as the only option or Obama just got the strings cut above him.

Shill mainstream media doesn't just abandon their sole mission in life for no reason.

CNN has business interests. Probably ones that align in to what Cooper is talking about, or they want the image that they don't agree with it, while they lay blame to others benefitting off of it.

I am pretty sure Anderson Cooper is not considered a hard hitting journalist. Hell, he doesn't even talk about the issue more than "I heard they're saying this…"

He is probably shilling in this video, but because it goes against a democratic government suddenly we all believe it's journalistic integrity?

boncho

Helious

boncho
reply to post by elouina

All along I have been aware of the Obama admin pressuring the insurance agencies to hide issues with the roll out. But it refreshing to see Anderson Cooper reporting on this, and in an alarming way. The White House is trampling the freedom of speech of the insurance companies to keep them from publicly criticizing the Obamacare roll out.

 

Dear god were you brainwashed as a child??? "The insurance companies right to free speech" !! It's a damn corporation, they shouldnt have free speech!!!!!!!!!

You do realize services were not allowed to even market themselves to the public in the past do you not!!!??

Meaning, lawyers, insurance brokers, etc, were not allowed to sway public opinion!

Facepalm x infinity

You're completely right but I think you're missing the point of what's going on. Why is CNN reporting on this? If CNN is reporting this, something is horribly wrong. Either they are going full scale 180 on this law as a failure to promote single payer as the only option or Obama just got the strings cut above him.

Shill mainstream media doesn't just abandon their sole mission in life for no reason.

CNN has business interests. Probably ones that align in to what Cooper is talking about, or they want the image that they don't agree with it, while they lay blame to others benefitting off of it.

I am pretty sure Anderson Cooper is not considered a hard hitting journalist. Hell, he doesn't even talk about the issue more than "I heard they're saying this…"

He is probably shilling in this video, but because it goes against a democratic government suddenly we all believe it's journalistic integrity?

CNN is competing for ratings with PBS, Anderson Cooper while getting ratings at times of serious national debate on hot topic issues has no actual viewership to speak of, that's why he brings in people like Alex Jones, Ted Nugent and Ben Shapiro, without those people, his show has a viewership lower than reruns of saved by the bell.

I just can't understand the agenda that has been handed to somebody like Anderson Cooper that spells out that pointing something like this out is what the channel (Corporate owners) would want to promote. There is something hidden just out of site here and I don't get it quite yet.

reply to post by elouina


S&F for an excellent topic. I almost never watch CNN because I hate their pro-Obama bias. I'm glad some of their barriers against criticizing the Obama WH are coming down.
This thread needs more traffic.

reply to post by elouina

The A.C.A was written by the said industries. For their benefit, not ours . This industry will let many people die if their Quarter profits increase 0.009 over the cost of going to the courts and paying large sums . They made profit and that is all they care for . Our Gov. backs them 100%

This is not a RT. Left. wing act. It is them against us and they seem to always come out on top. How many people have to die until the people receive something that benefits them.

I'll be holding my breath just ask for blue boy , he's in the corner.

reply to post by elouina

Strange since I thought the insurance companies are the ones who wrote the bill, something doesn't add up.