I want to see some ads demonizing insurance companies

[cali]

I'm seeing a shitload of disinformation about Canadian healthcare. Ad after ad that tells simple nightmare stories about "government healthcare". We need ads that not only tell the truth about Canadian healthcare- and other single payer systems, but that show what insurance companies do to the American consumer. We need ads that compare health statistics in this country with health statistics in other industrialized countries.

The ad wars are important and the "Harry and Louise" crowd are winning them. It's damn frustrating.

[stray cat]

1. Which companies and what facts should they concentrate on in the ads?

who pays for the ads, and would you donate to put the ads on the air?

[cali]

2. there are horror stories about insurance companies denying coverage

all over and across the industry. there was a woman who testified recently in from of Congress with a disgusting story about denial of care for breast cancer after first being approved. So denial of services is one area, so is the cost of insurance, people who are losing coverage, etc.

[nc4bo]

4. "Keep da guvmit outta muh helthcare1!11!" meme was launched and is very successful.

Pukes are so bloody good at broadcasting their fear based rhetoric, always were.

The Talking Points were transmitted, repeated often and I am thoroughly sick of hearing it parroted over and over.

Instead of worrying about a potential increase in taxes to pay for healthcare or showing to the public how much we, are already paying for health care of our uninsured, they talk about Big Brother and higher taxes.

Everydamnbody with a brain cell understands $3.00 for a friggin Tylenol or $5.00 for a box of cheap, single ply tissues. We ALL pay for everyone else's illness anyway!

Gotta do a better job of breaking it down for teh selfish, stupid.

But I agree, more stories of denial of services need to be highlighted.

Gee, why is this thread getting so many "unrecommends"?

[cali]

5. they are damned good at it.

and our side is doing a piss poor job of fighting back against the fear based memes being spewed by the repukes.

Oh, and this thread is getting unrecs because I wrote it.

[CrispyQ]

8. The media is doing a really good job of repeating the meme, offering no voice for the opposition.

A few weeks ago John King was doing some 'visit the home town' type event & he was at some local eatery interviewing a group of three community members. All three were suffering from bad economic times, but when King brought up health care reform, all three of them bristled & said "Keep da guvmit outta muh helthcare1!11!" No shit. King didn't even ask them anything specific - it was the first thing that fell from their lips when they heard "health care reform." I was amazed that he got 3-out-of-3 people who were perfectly conditioned to believe the BS. I wonder if he vetted them first or if it's an indicator of how many people have fallen completely & irrevocably for the 'private industry can do it better' meme.

[FormerDittoHead]

12. The media doesn't want to get sued.

Any "horror stories" would have to be well vetted - not practical in this 12 hour news cycle.

They like pre-packaged stories from publicity agencies who literally give them an outline and a sample script. Turnover is profit.

Even with a vetted story, the media would HAVE to give 'the other side' a chance to reply. Think 60 minutes coverage for HOW MANY stories?

We're being set up. The public option as it's going through isn't going to work, and so they'll be able to say, 'we tried the public option'.

The writing on the chart - if anything going on today were a threat to these companies, this chart would be pointing DOWN.

[juno jones]

13. Yeah it makes yah think dunnit?

Especially the unrecs.

[cap]

3. could I be the poster child ... Could I?

eom

[slipslidingaway]

6. knr nt

[Cali_Democrat]

7. I have family in the UK and they seem to really like their health care

They aren't screaming for privatization of their health care system, which is what some people would have you believe.

Americans are the ones that are pissed off about health care and the rethugs and conservadems will do anything they can to defend the status quo.

You are absolutely correct. We needs ads showing cold hard facts comparing our broke health care system to Canada, UK etc...

[area51]

9. I'd love to see ads ...

... showing an insurance company drone stepping repeatedly between a doctor and his patient; this is the situation that we have now, unlike what the propaganda is saying.

[Neecy]

10. I worked for a Canadian company for years

And I spent a lot of time in Canada. *Never* did I hear anyone complain about their health care - quite the opposite, they thought our system was barbaric.

They'll certainly come up with a few outliers who will gladly take money to bitch about their health care, but in my experience Canadians were pretty happy with what they had. We need to start hearing more of that.

[PVnRT]

11. But, but "we can't sink to their level"

Fighting back with ads about the horrors of the health insurance industry would be, like, totally mean.

[dflprincess]

14. The problem is

the plans currently being considered by Congress all pretty much protect the insurance industry.

These ads would be great if they were used to sell single payer to the public. - Oh wait, half or more of the public already supports that (and 73% support a strong public option), the commericials would have to be directed to "our" elected officials.

[kenfrequed]

15. Agreed

I completely agree and have donated a bit of money and time to causes related. Mostly local PIRG type people but they don't seem to want to go negative.

[Kablooie]

16. I have not heard ANY positive articles, discussions or news reports about new Healthcare plans.

All I hear is how it will bankrupt the country and take away all personal choice.

Where is the info supporting it?

The damned conservatives still control 98% of the information the American public receives.

[anigbrowl]

17. Pony up some $$$ then

I've seen a few of those too, and since I believe in public healthcare and know about film/TV I'm thinking about canvassing some people to tell the other side of the story and stick it on Youtube or something (I grew up with public healthcare so I know these ads against are mostly BS).

But if you want to get it on TV, airtime costs money. The insurance companies are buying their time, so people on the left who care about this issue need to band together to get a clear message heard too. It's not the media's job to argue with the sponsors, it's the left's job to put our own POV.

[leftofthedial]

18. who would pay for these ads?

There is no organized group representing the public interest.

[madamesilverspurs]

19. I could get into such trouble!

A chain restaurant just opened here. Some years ago my brother was a regional training manager for the chain, covering several states. His office walls were covered with plaques and citations from their national offices. He was definitely on a career path with them. He returned from vacation to discover that his keys no longer worked, he couldn't get in. He called the regional office and spoke with a friend there, who told him in a whisper that the company had fired him under pressure from their insurance carrier when they learned that his toddler son had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. I'd dearly love to picket the restaurant and name the insurance company in the process, but I suspect they could really make my life miserable if I did so, not to mention what they'd do to my brother and his family. That said, I'd be more than happy to give the info to any producer willing to put the story into an anti-insurance ad.