Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of North Carolina 'Double-Crossing' Obama With Attack Ads, Krugman Says

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 25 May 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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"Less than two weeks" after health industry interest groups pledged to work with President Obama on health reform, "the double-crossing is already well under way" as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina prepares a series of ads criticizing a public plan option that might be included in health reform legislation, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes. Krugman says, "The medical-industrial complex has called the president's bluff," adding, "It polished its image by showing up ... and promising cooperation, then promptly went back to doing all it can to block real change." According to Krugman, "The insurers and the drug companies are, in effect, betting that Obama will be afraid to call them out on their duplicity." He concludes, "It's up to Obama to prove them wrong" (Krugman, New York Times, 5/22).

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