In September, ThinkProgress reported that, despite its public support for health care reform, the insurance industry was engaged in a "duplicitous" campaign to undermine the effort. Recently, the National Journal confirmed our reporting by revealing that six of the top health insurance corporations had secretly pumped up to $20 million dollars into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for a $100-million-dollar attack ad campaign against health reform last year. This week, insurers purchased a new round of attack ads, again with millions laundered through the Chamber.
It's not just the Chamber. As we have detailed, the health insurance industry also funds Newt Gingrich's lobbying firm, which has helped to draft health legislation for Republican lawmakers — including bills aimed at deregulating the health insurance market — and advises GOP leaders on ways to kill reform.
Yesterday at the annual conference for America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the lobbying juggernaut for the health insurance industry, the industry again falsely claimed that it is fully behind health reform. ThinkProgress spoke to industry spokesman Robert Zirkelbach, who refused to acknowledge any other attack groups the industry may be funding. He also oddly claimed that funding attack ads and Gingrich is somehow consistent with the industry's promise "to play, to contribute and to help pass health-care reform":
rest at http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/11/ahip-twofaced-chamber/
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