Health Care for America Now ads promote universal health insurance

Health Care for America Now ads urge universal, affordable coverage

BY BOB LaMENDOLA |South Florida Sun-Sentinel

10:47 PM EDT, July 8, 2008

In three South Florida cities and nationally, a coalition of unions and social interest groups kicked off a $40 million campaign Tuesday to push for universal and affordable health insurance.

The main thrust of the Health Care for America Now campaign is ads depicting everyday Americans lamenting costly health care and coverage denials, reminiscent of the insurance industry's "Harry and Louise" ads in the 1990s that helped kill the Clinton national health plan. This time, insurers are the bad guys.

"We are at the mercy of the health-care industry that puts profits first and us second," said Quanisha Smith of the Florida Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, which is heading the campaign here.

The coalition staged events in Fort Lauderdale, where Smith spoke, and West Palm Beach, Miami and 50 other cities. Among the main architects are four unions, MoveOn and Planned Parenthood, liberal-leaning groups.

Some insurance officials labeled the campaign partisan politicking for the Democrats. America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group, said it has a plan to attack high costs caused by overused and misused services and by a proliferation of new technology not proven to work, president and CEO Karen Ignagni said.

But campaign spokeswoman Jacki Schechner said there's no election agenda. She said the aim is to pressure the government to start a public health plan for those without private coverage, make insurers cover all medical care, peg premiums and co-pays to income, and more closely regulate the industry.

For More Call Evan Tunis at 561.637.8162 or visit www.floridahealthcareinsurance.com