LOS ANGELES — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday urged the nation’s health insurance providers to give up short-term profits for a better long-term health care system that also could benefit the companies.
In advance remarks to an America’s Health Insurance Plans conference in Washington, Sebelius called on the providers to work with the Obama administration to pass a health care overhaul package rather than fight the proposals.
“You can choose to take the millions of dollars you have stored away for your next round of ads to kill meaningful reform, and use them to start giving Americans some relief from their skyrocketing premiums. Instead of spending your energy attacking the parts of the president’s proposal you don’t like, you can use it to strengthen the parts you do,” Sebelius said.
“If you take this approach, you may give up some short-term profits, but you will also be helping to create a sustainable health insurance market where all Americans will be able to buy coverage. That’s better for the American people. And it could be better for insurance companies too,” she said. Los Angeles Times
