Health Insurance Industry Can't Take It Anymore, Finally Launches Public Assault

Whether you like all of the compromises or not, the White House's strategy throughout this health care reform effort has been to bring all well-funded players on board and try to work with them, to avoid any of them launching overt, "Harry & Louise"-esque public campaigns against any reform whatsoever. The head negotiator for the health insurance industry's collective lobbying arm (AHIP) has been this sneaky lady named Karen Ignagni, who had mostly kept her word to avoid a full-scale attack on reform efforts -- until this weekend, when her organization released a 26-page report saying current compromises would dramatically raise everyone's premiums and be terrible. Maybe a public option would help that? WHATEVER, SOCIALIST.

It is not a coincidence that Ignagni released this a few days before the Senate Finance Committeefinallyplanned to get its damn bill out. The Washington Postwas more than happy to help! (HERE IS A GOOD REBUTTAL THING.)

But this could be a good sign! If the insurers are finally starting to sweat, maybe it's because Congress is actually planning on passing something decent. Or maybe nothing will pass at all! Everything is terrifying. Good show, all.

 New Bill Would Raise Rates, Says Insurance Group [WP]

 Is the Insurance Industry Declaring War? [TNR]

 Karen Ignagni's late hit [Michael Tomasky]