The first thing Barack Obama did late on Saturday night following the passage of the healthcare bill in the House of Representatives was to phone the heads of three industry lobby groups to thank them for their support. Not included on the list was the largest insurance lobby group, American Health Insurance Plans, which doggedly continues to oppose Democratic reform efforts.
Amid all the late night celebrations after the razor-thin 220-215 vote for the bill, Karen Ignagni, head of AHIP, warned that it would be a much tougher battle to push reform through the Senate in the weeks ahead. “The current House legislation fails to bend the healthcare cost curve and breaks the promise that those who like their current coverage can keep it,” she said. “The result will be increased costs and massive disruptions in the quality of coverage individuals and families rely on today.”
