White House Blasts "Distorted and Flawed" Insurance Report

5339106The White House is slamming a report from the insurance industry that claims a health care bill in the Senate will raise health care costs over time.

"This is a distorted and flawed report from the insurance industry and cannot be taken seriously," White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said Monday.

Late Sunday, the industry trade group America's Health Insurance Plans sent its member companies a new study claiming the health care bill before the Senate Finance Committee would increase the cost of a typical policy by hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars a year. The committee is scheduled to vote on the bill on Tuesday.

Supporters of Democrats' health care plans, however, have pounced on the report for its methodology. A spokesman for the Finance Committee said the study is "seriously flawed" because it doesn't take into account elements of the plan that would lower costs, tax credits to help people buy private insurance.

The White House agreed and suggested the insurance industry's report is simply self-serving.

"This so-called analysis appears on the eve of a vote that may eat into the insurance industry's profits," Cherlin said. "It conveniently ignores critical policies that will lower costs for those who have insurance, expand coverage and provide affordable health insurance options to millions of Americans who are priced out of today's health insurance market or are locked out by unfair insurance company practices."

Health Care for America Now, a liberal reform group, echoed that thought, calling the report "fake information."

"This is a transparent attempt by the health insurance industry to sabotage reform," HCAN National Campaign Manager Richard Kirsch said in a statement. "They're out to protect their money and their power, and they'll go to any lengths - including circulating fake information - to stop real change."

The senior advocacy group AARP also blasted the report, saying it is not "worth the paper it's written on."