Paul Whiteley, thanks for the music. The supporters of Single Payer Healthcare (HR 676) may have not a seat at the table like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, but I can tell you they are not going away. Click here to view photos of the rally. When folks take off from their jobs to participate in a rally, in deep Red Kentucky, for Single Payer the you can be assured this is an issue that's not going to die no matter how many Rick Scott's there are fighting for the insurance Companies. Click here to view Bill Londrigan, President of the Kentucky AFL-CIO, speaking at the rally. Click here to view Rocky Comito President of UAW Local 862 speaking at the rally.
Health insurers bulk up 1Q spending on lobbying: The five largest private insurers and the trade group America's Health Insurance Plans spent a total of $6.4 million in the first quarter, an increase of more than $1 million from the same quarter last year. The industry is working to counter proposals endorsed by the White House that would offer a government insurance option for millions of Americans. Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. and Louisville, Ky.-based Humana Inc. both saw first-quarter spending rise 16 percent to $1.2 million and $370,000, respectively. Spending for Philadelphia-based Cigna Corp. nearly doubled to $450,000 in the first quarter from a year ago.
Reckon the CEO's don't want to give up their big salaries?
Forbes David B Snow Jr CEO Medco Health, $21.76 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $36.29 million. Dale B Wolf CEO Coventry Health Care, $20.86 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $61.91 million. Michael B McCallister CEO Humana, $20.06 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $60.64 million. Ronald A Williams CEO Aetna $8.88 million. Trevor Fetter CEO Tenet Healthcare $5.80 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $19.08 million. Stephen J Hemsley CEO UnitedHealth $4.00 million. John H Hammergren CEO McKesson $44.91 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $94.59 million. Miles D White CEO Abbott Laboratories $44.76 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $76.47 million. William C Weldon CEO Johnson & Johnson $15.41 million, 5-Year Compensation Total $49.15 million. Jeffrey B Kindler CEO Pfizer $5.76 million. John C Lechleiter CEO Eli Lilly & Co $5.13 million. James M Cornelius CEO Bristol-Myers Squibb $5.06 million.
