Orshe

Over the course of President Obama’s just-concluded health-care town hall, the president knocked the health insurance industry a few times — then, just before things wrapped up, he got a question from a health insurance salesman. Here’s how it played out.

Early in the event, Obama cast health insurers as unwanted intruders in health care. “I don’t want government bureaucrats meddling in your health care, but I also don’t want insurance company bureaucrats meddling in your health care, either” he said.

Later, in discussing how he would pay for expanding health-insurance coverage, he alluded to his plan to cut the subsidy payments private insurers receive for administering Medicare advantage plans. “I would rather be giving that money to the young woman here who doesn’t have health insurance than giving it to insurance companies that are making record profits”

Then, a man who said he makes a living selling individual health-insurance plans asked Obama, “Why is it that you’ve … decided to vilify the insurance companies?”

“My intent is not to vilify insurance companies,” Obama responded. He said that insurance companies “in some cases have been constructive,” and cited Aetna in particular for its work on covering people with pre-existing conditions.

And, Obama said, “insurance companies are willing to support reform” — provided that everyone, or nearly everyone, gets insurance coverage.

Read more here: 
Insurance Salesman to Obama: Why Are You Vilifying Insurers?