McConnell Blasts Government Over 'Gag Order' on Private Health Care Provider

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I found this story on Fox News where the U.S Government through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has told an Insurance company of Medicare recipients, that they are being investigated because they sent a letter to their customers telling them of the changes that the current administrations health care reform would have on their benefits. The private insurer is Humana and in the letter it was informing the patients that they would be facing cuts to their benefits. A quote from the letter said "millions of seniors and disabled individuals ... could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage health plans so valuable."

Maybe I’m just paying more attention these days, but it seems like this current administration is out to squelch any opposition to its policies. If it continues in this manner, it will be no better than the original Mother country of England when the settlers were trying to escape from the confines of a dictatorial king. I’m dismayed at the present administration not being forthwith to all the information we need to make informed decisions as citizens of this country. They seem to think they know best for us and I’m not buying it.

This article used the comment on its part by a leading Republican that the “federal government resorted to bullying tactics when it ordered an investigation of Humana -- one of the country's biggest private insurers -- for its decision to send customers a letter alerting them about pending health reform legislation." This same Republican called it a “federal gag order" and wants his own investigation into why they are being investigated. I’m as outraged as the Republican Senator and agree it seems like the laws made to use against violators are in turn being used against the lawful in a manner to silence them if they disagree with any of the current administrations policies. How would you like it if they ordered a “cease and desist” order on your private mailings to customers until the investigation is over? That is exactly what they have done to Humana. And they don’t even have a clear violation named, just that they may have violated federal regulations. The kicker here is the letter sent out by Humana was supported by a nonpartisan, independent analysis of the Congressional Budget Office and not a "scare tactic" as one of the accusing investigators called the letter. I’m glad the article pointed out that the CMS has had no appointed administrator in almost 9 months and so it points a finger at the White house as the direct instigator of this investigation. They are clearly violating the First Amendment rights of the insurance company as the article alludes to, but yet the Democrats are pointing fingers at the Republicans saying they are protecting the big insurance companies.


More facts will have to come out before any final decisions are to be made as one Republican committee member said,” It is Congress' responsibility to find out the facts and protect the interests of the American people. We need to know who contacted CMS, when they did it and what was said," he said. I certainly agree and hope they find the White House with egg on their face.