Health Care Ads Go Retro, With A Twist

CBS Evening News: Harry And Louise Are Back In Support Of Universal Coverage

(CBS)  Remember Harry and Louise?

They were television icons back in the 1990s - a fictional couple starring not in a sitcom, but in political ads that transformed a very real national debate, reports CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews.

Fifteen years ago, when President Clinton was proposing universal health coverage and First Lady Hillary Clinton was selling it to Congress, the Harry and Louise ads instantly unified the opposition by labeling the Clinton plan a government takeover.

"The government picks health plans, then we have to pick a plan from their list," Louise used to complain to her husband.

Now, fifteen years later, some patient rights and hospital groups are borrowing Harry and Louise. And in this new ad, the couple changes sides in support of health care reform, saying things like, "Too many people are falling through the cracks."

But a lot more has changed besides Harry and Louise, starting with big business. At a recent press conference, the same health insurance lobby that paid out $17 million for Harry and Louise to defeat the Clinton plan now says it supports the idea of universal coverage and likes the new ad campaign.

"It's a different time," said Karen Ignagni, president of American Health Insurance Plans. "Our community believes it's very important to move on an agenda of health care reform."

"I think it shows that the American people are coming together," said Ron Pollack, executive director for Families USA Patient Advocate Group. "Those who were opposed to health care reform in the past now know it's critically important."

Version two of Harry and Louise, by the way, features the very same actors, but the starting budget is around one tenth of the original, sources say.

The groups behind this campaign also won't touch the tough question of which candidate, Barack Obama or John McCain, has the better health care ideas. Their angle is to generate so much public and industry-backed pressure that health care reform is accomplished regardless of who's elected president.

[random_radar]

So Harry and Louise are coming back to sell us on socialized medicine? What has changed in fifteen years?

Back then, Harry and Louise and all the rest of the middle to upper class baby boomers had good jobs and good private health care benefits. They did not care about the poor and sick among us.

But fast forward fifteen years and Harry and Louise and company are getting old and gray and sick and are about to face their golden years without much gold. Now they want someone else to pay for their health care (and everything else). So they have changed their tune and love the idea of socialized medicine.

But the joke will be on them because someone has to pay for it, and they didn''t have enough kids to sponge off of. So they will be working at Walmart and McDonalds and still getting lousy health care from Uncle Sam.

The pyramid scam of social security and medicare is about to end. The baby boomers got ripped off by their parents and now they are going to be working till the day they die. No retirement for you, suckers!

[mnbrant]

Wow this topic is dead. More room for me.
I am a Obama suporter who has read an article on both McCains and Obamas plan. I talked to a young woman at work today telling her what McCain and Obama plans to do. I said McCain looks like he will allegedly force companies to pay 9k a head to everyone so they can go out to buy health care. 20 year olds pay 1500 a year. people over 50 and those with preexisting conditions arent going to be able to afford it. The woman, an Obama supporter said ooh I am gonna get 9k? I get my health care though a family plan outside of work. She didnt seem to see the over 50 or prexisting complaint part. I said the family plan she is on will go way up which didnt faze her. She didnt seem to know that companies subsidize health care. I said with Obamas plan the corporations more or less pony up and pay for some great health care. You might not get a raise for 20 years. she didnt like that one. So in summary, in the McCains plan it looks like the healthy will pocket the 9k for the older and less healthy your rates will go way up for insurance that doesnt cover much. (I guess you have to choose the illness you want to have covered)

[babooph]

Ins companies get 1/3 of all healthcare funds-both parties & propandists have been bribed by their lobbyists for this-it will never stop!!We are doomed to a system that will soon be only for the rich,funded by whats left of the old middle class.

[omega39-2009]

I said McCain looks like he will allegedly force companies to pay 9k a head to everyone so they can go out to buy health care.
Posted by MNBrant

I had read that McCain wants to do away with the tax credit given to employers to provide health care for their employees. Instead he would provide a tax credit directly to the public of 2500 for individual and $5000 for a family. This tax credit will not be indexed to inflation so it would quickly fall behind in purchasing power. Currently, just for my coverage, my employer and myself combined pay almost $5000 annually. To adopt McCain''s plan, and keep the same level of care, my out of pocket would go up $1700 annually. McCain''s plan is the usual garbage sold by the right.

[dinkydog1]

So Harry and Louise are coming back to sell us on socialized medicine? Posted by random_radar at 08:48 PM

........................

Your Limbaugh catch words like "socialism" really don''t scare anyone anymore, your just one of the lackies who will protect the profits of the rich over the betterment of our society. Universal health care has been proven to deliver better care at drastically lower cost. Oh, and go ahead and give us the long wait, rationed care BS stories, even if you believe them, just think, no one in any industralized country want''s our health care system.

[toldyouso12]

"But a lot more has changed besides Harry and Louise, starting with big business. At a recent press conference, the same health insurance lobby that paid out $17 million for Harry and Louise to defeat the Clinton plan now says it supports the idea of universal coverage and likes the new ad campaign."

It IS different. The health care industry never understood that what HRC and others were doing, were delivering a captive group where they could still set their prices and we would have to pay for it. My health care costs for the year are 3200.00 for my premiums for a family of 5. Under the HRC plan, my costs would be about 13,000.00/year. As for who I chose or left--does it really matter when coverage is mandated and pricing determined by the same people in bed with the industry? Of course most Health care companies are for this now--NOT to help people, but to guarantee payment and to make a lot of money from the government and from each of us.

I''d rather pay higher taxes and keep my choices and options than be forced into mandated care and payments by the government.

UHC delivers a captive group and guarantees the money never stops rolling in--since when has the government ever paid the least or done anything economically?

[broadwayphi]

Don''t look for health care reform if McCain is elected.

Love your crappy, no-health care existence?

Vote for the liar.

www.factcheck.org

[broadwayphi]

McCain released three new ads with multiple false and misleading claims about Obama''s tax proposals.

A TV spot claims Obama once voted for a tax increase "on people making just $42,000 a year." That''s true for a single taxpayer, who would have seen a tax increase of $15 for the year %u2013 if the measure had been enacted. But the ad shows a woman with two children, and as a single mother, she would not have been affected unless she made more than $62,150. The increase that Obama once supported as part of a Democratic budget bill is not part of his current tax plan anyway.


A Spanish-language radio ad claims the measure Obama supported would have raised taxes on "families" making $42,000, which is simply false. Even a single mother with one child would have been able to make $58,650 without being affected. A family of four with income up to $90,000 would not have been affected.


The TV ad claims in a graphic that Obama would "raise taxes on middle class." In fact, Obama''s plan promises cuts for middle-income taxpayers and would increase rates only for persons with family incomes above $250,000 or with individual incomes above $200,000.


The radio ad claims Obama would increase taxes "on the sale of your home." In fact, home-sale profits of up to $500,000 per couple would continue to be exempt from capital gains taxes. Very few sales would see an increase under Obama''s proposal to raise the capital gains rate.

[broncfan1661]

The worst thing that can happen is that there will be a lot of lip service in Washington (Just as I''ve seen here) and as usual nothing will be done. We have got to do something to get us out of this Health Care mess. We need leaders
with balls who can get something done and I don''t see that.

[jackmayoff2]

DOCTORS MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY!

[mjvw2]

amazed that some of you want to give the health care system to a government that does absolutely nothing efficiently

[mjvw2]

DOCTORS MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY!
Posted by JackMayoff2

when you have an health problem call around and find the cheapest doctor. eventually the rest of us will be rid of you

[jackmayoff2]

WE SHOULD EXILE ALL PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR BUSH

[jackmayoff2]

when you have an health problem call around and find the cheapest doctor. eventually the rest of us will be rid of you - Posted by mjvw2

or i could go to cuba, mexico, canada, or france and get free health care

[jackmayoff2]

eventually the rest of us will be rid of you

maybe your better off defending bush?

[mnbrant]

I am a mentally ill older vet so of course I am interested in universal health care. Right now I have to call the insurance company every doctor visit I make and argue with them to pay up. Last bill from my psychiatrist they paid 1 dollar of my 110$ bill. of course they always pay up within the year but I am tired and just don''t have the time. I also work 65 to 85 hours a week at 11 bucks an hour. My insurance company is actually better than most in that, even though they have been written up in the Star Tribune for non payment, they actually paid the full cost of my colonoscopy after about a year of fighting. My coworker got hit with a 1700$ bill she didnt pay. I think it was a hospital room charge or something

[obbcbs]

the right wing WTO propaganda on behalf of status quo is that government cannot DO anything. So that''s why Bush blew it with Katrina? Its not ''government'' that cannot do anything. Its Republicans who will not lift a finger unless it is to pick up money. Our health care system already costs much more than other nations systems, and no its not the best in the world for the 50 million it doesnt help at all. Our system is the best in one thing, for making money for the companies that run it.