Hey to Kay

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is taking out a little more insurance, one might say, against health care reform. After one mass mailing to consumers aimed at twisting the arm of U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, the nonprofit insurer is at it again. Another mailing has arrived, and like the first one, it includes a postage-paid card that people can send to Hagan urging her to oppose reform proposals now in Congress.

Last time, the card focused on telling Hagan to "oppose government-run health insurance," a nice clear phrase but a misleading one. Reform as proposed by some Democrats wouldn't create government-run national health care; it would add a government-run option for those with difficulty getting insurance from companies such as BCBS. The government plan would compete with private insurers, which the industry doesn't like because competition isn't always good for the profit margin.

This time out, the company is trying to convince people to follow its line that reform as proposed would increase fees and taxes (on insurers, drug companies and medical equipment companies) and that those increases would be passed on to customers. This effort must be expensive. So when the company speaks of taxes and fees being passed on to policy-holders, will the cost of the mailings be passed on to them too? At least the timing is better, as the last mailing came on the heels of customers being notified of a healthy increase in premiums.

Of course BCBS has a right to free speech and to try to get its point across. But BCBS officials certainly would have no trouble setting up an appointment with Sen. Hagan (Republican Richard Burr is tucked away on the company's side). The company, in other words, has plenty of opportunity to plead its case on its executives' view of its merits. But it wants to marshal public opinion to bring pressure on her.

To her credit, Hagan is standing by her inclination to support reform, but is rightly taking the view that she wants to closely examine final proposals and have some input into them. That's exactly what she ought to be doing, with a clear eye unclouded by attempts to manipulate the debate. In the meantime, BCBS undoubtedly will keep those cards and letters coming.