- Back to News |
- Community |
- Police |
- State |
- Nation |
- Politics |
- World |
- Weather |
- Archives |
- Back to home
More in News
Commissioners vote to send letter opposing BCBSNC mailing
By Josh Humphries
The Daily Reflector
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
The Pitt County Board of Commissioners voted to send a letter to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina stating disapproval of a recent mailing from the state's largest insurance provider.
Commissioner Tom Johnson requested a discussion at Monday's meeting on a recent mailing from BCBSNC that states the company's opposition to a government option for health insurance.
The mailing included a postage-paid card addressed to U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., for the recipient to fill out indicating his or her opposition to government-run health insurance.
There was nothing sent to U.S. Sen. Richard Burr or any member of the U.S. Congress from North Carolina.
“I was concerned in receiving the mailing that the tear-off card was only addressed to Kay Hagan,” Johnson said. “There was no card to send to Burr.”
Johnson said that Pitt County purchases insurance coverage from BCBSNC, and the company should not use taxpayer money from Pitt County to send a partisan mailing. Commissioners Kenneth Ross, Eugene James and Jimmy Garris voted against sending the letter.
“I think we need to stay out of national politics, especially health care,” James said. “I think the less we say about it, the better off we are.”
Commissioner Beth Ward agreed with Johnson.
“If this kind of mailing is going to go to one of them, it should go to all of them,” Ward said.
BSBCNC spokesman Lew Borman said the mailing included a postcard directed at Hagan because she has been unclear on her stance on the health care issue.
Burr has made it clear that he opposes a government program, Borman said.
Borman said the company will not release how many of the mailings were sent or how much the company spent on the mailings, but customer lists were not used to find recipients.
“We have said from the beginning that we believe it is important for North Carolinians to understand the impact of a government-run program,” Borman said. “We have made it clear that we want to see a good bill passed that provides for all Americans.”
In other matters, the board approved overtime for Pitt County Health Department employees who are working longer hours to handle the demand for H1N1 flu vaccines.
Funding for the request made by health department director Dr. John Morrow will come from federal public health funding for H1N1 vaccine implementation. The commissioners only needed to approve the extra hours.
The board also certified East Carolina University's ECU-TV Channel 99 as an educational channel with the state.
ECU requested the designation from the City of Greenville, but the city already certifies other channels, and the state limits the number of channels that each city and county can certify. Pitt County has one channel, so officials from each entity agreed to get the certification on the county level rather than the city level.
The county will not incur costs for certifying the channel but will serve as a funnel for state funds, about $20,000 per year, to go to the ECU station.
Contact Josh Humphries at jhumphries@coxnc.com or (252) 329-9565.
The Daily Reflector
|
Weather
|
Sports
|
Look
|
Business
|
Opinion
|
Classifieds
|
Site Map
Cars
|
Jobs
|
Homes
Copyright 2009 The Daily Reflector All rights reserved. - The Daily Reflector - Our Partners
By using this service, you accept the terms of our
visitor agreement
and
privacy policy. About our ads.
Registered site users, you may edit your profile.
Having trouble? Visit our
help & FAQ
Your comments
Watch Our Taxes
11/04/2009 09:10:18 PM
Tom Johnson and the rest of the county commissioners should be watching our tax money. Oh, they are! Out of our pockets and into county coffers.
Suggest removalDo you buy medicines? If so, Pharma is sending out much nicer cards than BCBS did, promoting Sens. Hagan and Burr. Pharma is in the pocket of the health care enthusiasts. I wonder if our meds will go up because of Phama's spending.
LTT
11/04/2009 12:12:23 AM
I too received the mailing from BCBS of NC. I also recieved a notice from BCBS that my insurance rate will be going up $90 a month!! Are they crazy, or just trying to get money before they go out of business from Obama care crap?
Suggest removalPitt County
11/03/2009 05:47:08 PM
is self insured. The County pays a fee to BCBS to administer their health program. Johnson has no proof that the County's administrative fee was used to pay for this mailing. Johnnson used his position to further his political agenda as usual.
Suggest removalltp
11/03/2009 02:26:07 PM
The board is a consumer of services from BCBS. A consumer usually shows their disatisfaction with the service vendor by choosing a different one. States that have monopolies in health insurance providers can thank their state representatives for putting them in a sole source situation. Usually everyone else in the state is paying for the deal that the state gets. True competition is the only way for all of us to win. That should be the focus.
Suggest removalBig Al
11/03/2009 02:21:28 PM
to big al, for your viewing...
Suggest removalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXJgkvF19QA
Big Al
11/03/2009 02:17:37 PM
I never said Canadians were making a "mass migration" or anything of the such. Do your own research and maybe you will see the difference between U.S. and Canadian health care.
Suggest removalto Big Al
11/03/2009 02:11:02 PM
another non truth
Suggest removalI lived on the US side of the Canadian border next to a major highway and guess what ,there were no mass migration of people coming to the US for health care
In fact the biggest problem was US citizens going to Canada for cheap and I mean cheap prescriptions readily available in the USA for 4 times the price offered in Canada
Do your research before you make general statements that are false
Big Al
11/03/2009 01:47:07 PM
By the way, ask Canada how their socialist health care is working out? Why are so many Canadians coming to the U.S. for health care?
Suggest removalWhy people care
11/03/2009 01:45:38 PM
Because my premiums are being used to fund this hypocritical BS propoganda about "competition", while they (BCBSNC) they are basically a monopoly on private health insurance for individuals. Also, since local governments purchase their employee coverage from BCBS, they have every right to speak out about business tactics that they disagree with.
Suggest removalBig Al
11/03/2009 01:44:34 PM
The answer is to allow citizens the opportunity to purchase health insurance in any state...not just the state in which one resides. There's your competition! This would lower premiums and one would still receive quality health care. Do you want the gov't to decide whether or not you, your parents, grandparents, should receive treatment?
Suggest removalhmmm to thats funny
11/03/2009 01:39:34 PM
Australia health care:
Suggest removallook at AHCRA number 1 principle before you go any further- here- let me copy it for you
"Access
• Health care is a right and should be available on the basis of need not the ability to pay"
NEED I SAY MORE....hmmmm
That's funny
11/03/2009 01:31:54 PM
The health care system in Australia is experiencing the exact same problems those "evil" conservatives are warning us about. Check out the AHCRA. The government is simply not able to efficiently manage a massive entitlement like this. Those other limited public health options in place now do not compare.
Suggest removalto big al
11/03/2009 12:49:35 PM
I do not get it!!
Suggest removalOther countries that have the "public option" have lower health care costs than the USA, and have equally excellent care- just ask my brother in Japan or my 90 year old aunt in Australia.They love their worry free health car provided to them AS A RIGHT in their county.Instead, in the USA, its treated as a privilege for the rich, and the powerful politicians who can afford it- damn the poor and unemployed
We have a real "sick" system...
Sick of Political Figures
11/03/2009 12:45:27 PM
I guess we know who he voted for.
Suggest removalBig Al
11/03/2009 12:05:26 PM
Terry, the public option would not be extra competition, it would be an ultimate takeover. No private insurers, just the government...the obama way. Also, it would cost even more in the long run than private insurers through skyrocketing taxes.
Suggest removalBig Al
11/03/2009 11:55:48 AM
To "To Big Al", thank you for your valuable insight. Without your suggestions, I might not have known that a little ol' citizen like myself can go before our esteemed commissioners. Thank you for your input. Now Fix The Road!
Suggest removalFun!!!!
11/03/2009 11:47:51 AM
This is fun! Post some more! Post some more!
Suggest removalTo "Big Al"
11/03/2009 11:46:45 AM
How about taking your Big Al self to a commissioners meeting and making your request directly instead of complaining in a comment section on the Reflector. I'm sure all of Commissioners read the comment section for citizen input. NOT!
Suggest removalOH NO! ANOTHER GOVT RUN THINGY
11/03/2009 11:45:04 AM
Oh no! The Commissioners are supporting
Suggest removalGOVERNMENT RUN TV...what's next GOVERNMENT RUN MUSIC - they'll only give us the songs they like, GOVERNMENT RUN GROCERY STORES -they'll ration our food.
Now's the time people to take up arms and fight the tyranny!!! Hehe Hehe
Big Al
11/03/2009 11:43:12 AM
How about repairing the road at the railroad crossing by Best Buy on Greenville Blvd. Can a steel grate like the ones on Arlington not be placed down to smooth that crossing point? Instead of crying over a BCBSNC mailer, make the roadways better.
Suggest removalFeel Sorry For "Conservatives"
11/03/2009 11:42:03 AM
You people are scary! You're like parrots that repeat everything you hear from other "conservatives", Fox news, etc. because your brain isn't big enough to think for yourself.
Suggest removalPoor ltp
11/03/2009 11:40:23 AM
"government run healthcare LIKE WE'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE"
Suggest removalguess you never heard of Medicaid, Medicare, NC HealthChoice, VA Hospitals..shall I go on...or have you now realized that "gov't run healthcare" has existed for years
ltp is FUNNY!
11/03/2009 11:38:33 AM
What in the H*ll does ACORN have to do with Pitt County Commissioners. Most of them (like you) had probably never heard of ACORN before FOX news decided to make them the poster child for "everything that's wrong with America" (FOX def. anyone who wants to organize themselves to have their voices heard by their political representatives who is not a major corporation)
Suggest removalltp
11/03/2009 11:36:37 AM
Single payer is not competition. It is government run health care like we have never had before. Obama and many of his cronies have said that is what they want. Any bill they put out is just a single payer wolf with sheep skin draped over it. Government is responsible for the mess we have now. It's not going to clean anything up by getting deeper in it.
Suggest removalCan You Say Patriot Act
11/03/2009 11:35:40 AM
It's amazing how many people are complaining about government infringing on their rights who had nothing to say about any of the Bush initiatives that took many of their rights away.
Suggest removalCommissioners Have The Right
11/03/2009 11:34:35 AM
The Commissioners have every right to speak on this matter. BCBS is the sole insurance option for county employees and yes BCBS should be concerned about their disapproval b/c it only takes a majority of them to vote to find a NEW insurance company for county employees that knows better than to use the type of shady tactics that BCBS is employing.
Suggest removalpendragon
11/03/2009 10:50:19 AM
the commisioners need to keep their mouths shut about the BCBS matter and stick to just wasteing Pitt County Tax Payers money and dreaming-up more ways to make to regulate the citizens of this county.
Suggest removalterry
11/03/2009 10:12:51 AM
"Johnson said that Pitt County purchases insurance coverage from BCBSNC"
Suggest removalThe Board has every right to question this letter. In fact if I was them I would pursue the public option as an alternative company. Oh, I forgot, there are fools out there that don't think the public option is a good idea- well another competitor then- oops- there isn't one.... What a scewed up health care insurance system we have...
Frank Constanza
11/03/2009 09:05:04 AM
The part I find interesting that Pitt County Commissioners would drop BCBS for its involvement into the health care debate. Well if the health care reform passes, BCBS probably won't be around in 3 to 5 years anyway with this public option. Johnson and Ward need to get a life or maybe one after their political careers are ended in the next election!!!
Suggest removalTerry
11/03/2009 08:58:00 AM
Let the commissioners keep themselves busy with such nonsense it keeps them from screwing up more local issues.
Suggest removalScared now
11/03/2009 08:33:59 AM
Ooohhhh, a letter of disapproval from the Pitt County Board of Commissioners. I'm sure the BCBS people will be shaking in their boots for the 3 seconds it takes to move the letter from the mailbox to the trash can.
Suggest removalNice use of time and resources folks.
Taxpayer
11/03/2009 07:44:32 AM
The Pitt County Board of Commissioners have no business butting in with BCBS politics.
Suggest removalGeoff
11/03/2009 07:42:29 AM
Time to VOTE OUT some commissioers...why get in on a national debte, true words spoken....lest we start taking back our counties, state and nation by VOTING OUT all incumbents, we have to blame ourselves. Obamaites at the local level....Johnson, Ward and the gang..who is suprised?
Suggest removalMe
11/03/2009 06:39:00 AM
BCBSNS is a private company and can do what they want with their money, regardless where it comes from. Johnson and the other morons on the BOC need to butt out! Fascist fools.
Suggest removalltp
11/03/2009 04:15:56 AM
By all means let's try to use political office to silence opposition. Is that the American way. It seems to be since community organizers think they are running the country. News Flash ACORN!!! You don't. Not yet anyway. Let's see who voted for it so I can vote you out.
Suggest removalyankee insomniac
11/03/2009 01:10:48 AM
It's ironic that insurance companies with state monopolies such as BCBS are strong-arming folks with the notion of "competition".
Suggest removalPost a Comment
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks or any other inappropriate material are prohibited. By using our site you agree to our ground rules and our terms of use. There could be a delay of up to 5 minutes before your comment appears.