The Note

New Ad Pushes Obama on Health Care

January 08, 2009 12:01 PM

ABC News' Tahman Bradley Reports: A coalition of six groups launched a health care ad on Thursday urging President-elect Obama and Congress not to forget about fixing the nation's struggling health care system in the early days of the new administration.

With the 111th Congress set to move quickly on an economic recovery package, the diverse group of organizations used the ad to connect fixing health care to rescuing the economy. The six organizations -- representing doctors, labor, as well as the pharmaceutical industry and a major insurance provider -- argue that an economic recovery requires systemic reforms that reduce health care costs.

"At a time when American businesses are hurting why should we worry about fixing health care? Because quality and affordable health care can save money and make businesses more competitive so they can invest in innovation, hire back workers, create jobs, get the economy working again…for everyone," a narrator says in the 30-second spot.

The groups will not disclose the exact size of the buy but claim that it is a "multi-million dollar ad buy" on national cable as well as broadcast television in Washington, DC for at least a month.

Support for reform could fall apart if President-elect Obama sticks to his plan of opposing an individual mandate while imposing a new requirement on insurers that they accept patients without regard to pre-existing condition. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association made clear to ABC News that it expects to go along with Obama's guaranteed issue proposal if it includes an individual mandate.

"We're very pleased that Congress and the administration are making health care affordable to everyone. We are supporting an individual mandate and we think that's important," said Blue Cross Blue Shield Senior Vice President Alissa Fox. "You want to make insurance affordable for everyone and the only way to do that is to make sure everyone is in the pool."

Another possible stumbling block is Obama's call for creating a government insurance option which would compete for patients against private insurers. The insurance industry has warned that this proposal amounts to a backdoor effort to impose price controls by eliminating private insurance and having everyone covered by the government. Liberal advocates of public insurance, by contrast, have argued that a government insurance option is non-negotiable.

Fox said Blue Cross Blue Shield doesn't see the need for a public government option. "If you're setting strict standards for insurers and we're taking everybody regardless of their health status, why would we need a public health program?"

The insurance industry's hard line on an individual mandate illustrates the difficult political work that needs to be done to build a broad coalition for reform. But, for now the coalition behind the TV spot hopes everyone stays onboard when the President-elect brings forth his proposal.

"The groups involved haven't always seen eye to eye on health care reform," said Steve Weiss, spokesman for the American Cancer Society Network.

"But the message we're sending is that different stakeholders believe that health care reform must be a top priority for the new president and Congress, and that a variety of different stakeholders need to be at the table to craft the health care reform plan that improves the health of the country."

In addition to the television commercial, the six groups have committed to doing grassroots activities across the country.

"We hope the ad campaign and the subsequent grassroots activities we will engage in nationwide will send a message that groups with different views of the health care system share in a belief that health care reform is an important issue," said Weiss.

The ad’s release is timed to the start of former Sen. Tom Daschle’s Senate confirmation hearings for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The six groups backing the ad are the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Medical Association, Families USA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Regence BlueCross BlueShield and the Service Employees International.

AD SCRIPT

At a time when American businesses are hurting why should we worry about fixing health care?

Because quality and affordable health care can save money and make businesses more competitive so they can invest in innovation, hire back workers, create jobs, get the economy working again…for everyone.

Quality, affordable health care, it’s not just something we should do for America’s families, it’s something we must do for America’s economy.