Advocacy Group Slams Health Industry Campaign

By Staff Writer

August 04, 2008 at 11:32 AM

Share & Print

The Campaign for America's Future, a Section 527 group that supports liberal causes, has produced a video that uses a health insurance industry campaign's 800 number to attack the campaign.

The Campaign for America's Future, Washington, produced the video to mock the Coalition for an American Health Care Solution.

America's Health Insurance Plans, Washington, and other organizations developed the Coalition for an American Health Care Solution campaign in an effort to show U.S. voters that the health insurance industry cares about them and their concerns.

One component of the industry campaign is a hotline, at 800-289-1136.

Coalition campaign organizers say someone is waiting on the hotline to listen to callers' ideas for improving the system.

The Campaign for America's Future video shows a narrator, Bob from Detroit, calling the hotline repeatedly and being directed to a voicemail system.

"This is the fifth time I've called you today," Bob says. "I've heard you've started some listening tour. But if you really want to listen, pick up the phone."

The producers of the video end by asking, "What else would you expect from the health care industry?"

The Campaign for America's Future says it produced the video for the Health Care for America Now coalition.

The coalition, launched in July, "plans to spend $25 million in paid media and have 100 organizers in 45 states" between now and Election Day, according to the Campaign for America's Future.

NOT FOR REPRINT