TV Ad Accuses Insurers of Operating Real ‘Death Panels’

A progressive political organization is once again targeting the insurance industry with a new television ad, this one accusing insurers of operating actual "death panels," as opposed to the accusation some conservative figures have made against proposed health reform legislation.

The persistent rumor that health reform efforts are aimed at the formation of death panels to review the treatment of medical cases has been heard from reform critics at events across the United States. Americans United for Change, a group allied with Democratic political efforts, is sponsoring a new ad that has begun airing on CNN, MSNBC and "heavily" on cable stations in the local Washington, D.C., television market, according to spokesman Jeremy Funk.

"Obviously, there's been death-panel hysteria the last week, originating from ... some unscrupulous conservative activists who want nothing more than to kill health insurance reform," Funk said. "This thing has gotten out of control." And he pointed out that it's a "completely and totally debunked myth."

The 30-second ad features a voice-over saying, "Their lies about phony death panels have all been proven false. Unfortunately, there are real death panels in America." Then it shows congressional testimony from Dr. Linda Peeno, a former managed-care medical director and reviewer, expressing remorse for denying potentially life-saving medical treatment.

"This is an effort to push back and say, 'Wait a minute here,'" Funk said, listing some of those the group claims are perpetuating the death-panel discussion, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "Why aren't they upset at the current system where there really are death panels going on?"

Robert Zirkelbach, spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, called the ads "just another page out of the same playbook: attack health plans to divert attention away from the fact that the American people are rejecting government-run health care. The inconvenient fact is that our industry strongly supports health care reform and has proposed to completely overhaul how health insurance is provided."

The Washington airing of the ad "is kind of directed at the opinion makers and lawmakers in town here," Funk explained. This follows an earlier ad from the same group that specifically targeted the pay of Cigna Corp.'s chief executive officer and accused the industry of wanting to defend the status quo.

The ad joins a collection of health-reform arguments already airing, including one from Americans for Stable Quality Care -- a coalition of groups that includes the American Medical Association, PhRMA and the Service Employees International Union -- that provides general support for reforming the health care system.

(Jesse A. Hamilton, Washington bureau manager: Jesse.Hamilton@ambest.com)