Provide names of other journalists involved.
N/A
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
My commentaries were published throughout 2011 and were published first by iwatchnews.org and then by The Huffington Post. Various other media outlets picked up and published several of them, citing the Center for Public Integrity as the original source.
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
What I attempt to do in my commentaries is take the reader behind the scenes so they will have a better understanding of how the powerful health insurance industry influences public policy in both Washington and state capitals. I draw upon my nearly two decades of experience as an industry insider to explain how health insurers operate and how their everyday business practices have contributed to the United States having the most expensive health care system in the world and also one of the most inequitable. I have explained how those practices have contributed to both the growing number of Americans without insurance and wasteful spending. I have also described how insurers’ lobbyists have been able to influence public policy, how, for example, they were able to persuade the Obama administration and Congressional leaders to construct reform legislation around a requirement that all Americans not eligible for a public program like Medicare buy coverage from a private insurer–an idea that came out of a conservative think tank in the late 1980s. I’ve also explained why insurers do not want the Affordable Care Act repealed or declared unconstitutional but instead are working behind the scenes to influence how the law is implemented. Many news organizations covered the debate on reform but very few are covering how the reform law’s many regulations are being written and implemented, especially at the state level. I have sought to fill that void with analysis pieces that draw on my experience and work over many years as someone who helped develop public policy strategies for the industry. One of the first such columns was about how the dominant insurers in North Carolina was behind legislation that would pack the state’s exchange board it business and political allies–and to even give the insurer a permanent seat on the board. After my column appeared, many news outlets, which had not reported on this, began covering it. Because of this exposure, support for the legislation stalled and sponsors were not able to get it approved during the 2011 legislative session. In another column I explained the significance of the law enacted by the Vermont legislature to create a single-payer system in the state–and the difficulty the state will have in actually implementing the system because of opposition from insurers who would be put out of business if it were to go into effect. Several of my commentaries have pointed out how the Obama administration is caving into demands from the insurance industry. Others have challenged comments made by candidates for the Republican nomination for president.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Sources of information for my commentaries have included the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (as signed into law on March 23, 2009); legislation to repeal or change the law since its enactment; bills that have been introduced in various state legislatures; statements issued by government officials and interest groups; comment letters submitted by interest groups to the Obama Administration seeking to influence how regulations are drafted and implemented; information contained on government and non-government Web sites; press releases and earnings statements released by investor-owned insurance companies; and documents and tips that have been sent to me discretely by sources who asked to remain anonymous. I did not request records through the FOI or other public records acts.
Explain types of human sources used.
I interviewed several elected and appointed officials, ranging from members of Congress and their staff members to state legislators to the governor of Vermont and the Commissioner of Insurance in California. Other sources have included members of the Obama administration, especially those in the Department of Health and Human Services, and representatives of consumer organizations, including those who are serving as consumer representatives to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Results:
Some of my commentaries, such as the one on the legislation in North Carolina, have clearly been impactful. At the national level, Congressional staffers and consumer advocates have stated that my commentaries have helped lawmakers and regulators block industry-led efforts to weaken transparency requirements and that would allow insurers to more easily meet the minimum MLR requirement established by the reform law.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Find or determine your unique voice and use a consistent style in all your commentaries. Write with the goal of providing readers with context and information they likely will not be able to get from other sources, including other media. Strive to ensure that what you write will help readers to better understand the U.S. health care system and how the vested interests influence not only public policy but also how people think about the system.