America's Health Insurance Plans

America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) is a lobbying group "representing nearly 1,300 member companies providing health insurance coverage to more than 200 million Americans," according to its website. "AHIP's principal purpose is to represent the interests of our members on legislative and regulatory issues at the federal and state levels, and with the media, consumers and employers," the site adds.

History
AHIP was formed in 2004, by the merger of the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) and Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA). At the time, AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignani said the merged group would be "very active in the legislative arena." "AAHP and HIAA merger talks go back to 1999--a time when HIAA's members were mostly individual small-group insurers and AAHP members were mainly large managed-care companies," reported one trade publication. "Historical differences in products and policy positions had largely disappeared over the years. As they investigated merger possibilities, they realized their missions were in sync and compatible. The merger increased AAHP's budget by about 40% and created the largest health insurance lobby on Capitol Hill."

HIAA was behind the 1993 "Harry and Louise" television advertisements opposing then-First Lady Hillary Clinton's proposed health care reform plan.

Opposition to the Affordable Care Act
Investigation by the National Journal into the 2011 990 forms of both the National Federation of Independent Business and AHIP revealed that AHIP transferred $850,000 that year to NFIB in order to fight against the premium tax that is a key component of the Affordable Care Act. As the National Journal reports, "The back-channel spending shows how insurers were able to fund a key—and much more politically popular—ally in their fight against the premium tax."

"Campaign for an American Solution"
AHIP launched the Campaign for an American Solution in Columbus, OH on July 22nd, 2008. The Campaign is billed as a grassroots campaign and listening tour to "build support for workable health care reform based on core principles supported by the American people: coverage, affordability, quality, value, choice and portability."

In Columbus, AHIP was met with large crowds of protesters unhappy with the health insurance industry. A protester succeeded in posing a question at the roundtable discussion, asking CEO Karen M. Ignagni whether she agreed with WellPoint CEO Angela Braly's comment that, "We will not sacrifice profitability for membership." Ignangi responded by saying that in the health insurance industry, "No profit, no mission."

AHIP's other stops on their listening tour have been:


 * Detroit, Michigan - where no advance notice was given of the event
 * Denver, Colorado - in the form of a moderated online chat
 * Salt Lake City, Utah
 * Minneapolis, Minnesota - in the form of a moderated online chat
 * Albuquerque, New Mexico - where again AHIP was greeted by large crowds of protesters

Lobbying
In the first half of 2009, AHIP spent $3,900,000 on in-house lobbying efforts and $525,000 on outside lobbying firms and consultants, including the Duberstein Group, Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, HC Assoc, Stephanie Wenkert Kanwit, Davis & Harman, Glover Park Group and Capitol Health Group.

In 2006, AHIP spent over US$7 million on lobbying, and its 2005 television ad "Shark Bait" drew harsh criticism for its claim that "lawsuit abuse" by American trial lawyers cost the typical American family US$1,200 a year.

Personnel
AHIP President Karen M. Ignagni frequently serves as a spokesperson for the views of the insurance industry, recently taping an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show opposite Michael Moore to discuss Sicko. In response to a past statement by Senator Hillary Clinton that insurance companies "spend tens of billions of dollars a year figuring out how not to cover people" and "how to cherry-pick the healthiest persons, and leave everyone else out in the cold", Ignagni asserted the AHIP endorses the goal of universal coverage, that insurers deny only 3 percent of claims, and that many of those are for experimental procedures that employers do not cover.

AHIP's Board of Directors is made up of mostly CEOs and Presidents of health insurance companies. They are, as of September, 2008:
 * Mr. Michael E. Abbott - President & CEO, American Republic Insurance Company
 * Mr. David H. Klein - President & CEO, The Lifetime Healthcare Companies (formerly Excellus)
 * Ms. Debbie J. Ahl - President & CEO, Sterling Life Insurance Company
 * Mr. Gary B. Lenderink - EVP, Risk Management Products Guardian
 * Mr. Scott Armstrong - President and CEO, Group Health Cooperative
 * Robert I. Lufrano, MD - Chairman and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida
 * Mr. John E. Aschenbrenner - President, Insurance and Financial Services, Principal Financial Group
 * Mr. Frederick J. Manning - Chairman & CEO, Celtic Insurance Company
 * Mr. Charles D. Baker - President and CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
 * Anthony M. Marlon, MD - Chairman & CEO, Sierra Health Services, Inc.
 * Mr. Richard A. Barasch - Chairman & CEO, Universal American Financial Corporation
 * Mr. Michael McCallister - President and CEO, Humana Inc.
 * Mr. Christy W. Bell - President and COO, Horizon Healthcare and Senior Vice President Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ
 * Mr. Raymond F. McCaskey - CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL/Health Care Service Corp.
 * Mr. Bruce G. Bodaken - Chairman, President & CEO, Blue Shield of California
 * Mr. Jeffrey L. McWaters - Chairman and CEO, AMERIGROUP Corporation
 * Ms. Mary Brainerd - President & CEO, HealthPartners, Inc.
 * Kenneth R. Melani, MD - President and CEO, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
 * Ms. Angela Braly - President and CEO, WellPoint, Inc.
 * Joseph Mario Molina, MD - Chairman & CEO, Molina Healthcare, Inc.
 * Mr. Frank J. Branchini - CEO, Group Health Incorporated
 * Mr. Daniel P. Neary - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company
 * Mr. William Cameron - Chairman and CEO, American Fidelity Assurance Company
 * Mr. David W. Oliker - President & CEO, MVP Health Care
 * William J. Cromie, MD - President and CEO, Capital District Physicians' Health Plan
 * Ms. Francine Parker - President and CEO, Health Alliance Plan
 * Michael W. Cropp, MD - President and CEO, Independent Health
 * Norman C. Payson, MD - Chairman of the Board, Concentra Inc.
 * Mr. Benjamin M. Cutler - Chairman and CEO, USHEALTH Group, Inc.
 * Mr. Christopher D. Perna - President, MedAmerica
 * Mr. Michael M. Dudley - President, Sentara Health Plans, Inc.
 * Mr. Robert Reed - President and Chief Executive Officer, Physicians Mutual Insurance Company
 * Mr. Joseph A. Frick - President and CEO, Independence Blue Cross
 * Mr. Richard L. Richiski - Executive Vice President, COO Specialties, Zurich North America
 * Mr. Mark B. Ganz - President & CEO, The Regence Group
 * Mr. Richard F. Rivers - Executive Vice President, Great-West Healthcare
 * Mr. William J. Gedwed - Chairman, President & CEO, HealthMarkets
 * Ms. Jeannine M. Rivet - Executive Vice President, UnitedHealth Group
 * Mr. Jay M. Gellert - President & CEO, Health Net, Inc.
 * Mr. James Roosevelt - President and Chief Executive Officer, Tufts Health Plan
 * Ms. Vicky B. Gregg - President and Chief Executive Officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
 * Lewis G. Sandy, MD (CMO Chair Representative) - Senior Vice President, Clinical Advancement UnitedHealth Group
 * Mr. Rick L. Haines - President & CEO, AultCare
 * Mr. Buck Stinson - President, Long Term Care, Genworth Financial
 * Mr. George C. Halvorson - Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals
 * Mr. Grover Thomas - Chairman of the Board, Trustmark Companies
 * Mr. Don G. Hamm - President and CEO, Assurant Health
 * Mr. Edward H. Walker - SVP, AEGON Direct Marketing Services
 * Mr. H. Edward Hanway - Chairman and CEO, CIGNA Corp.
 * Mr. Thomas R. Watjen - President and CEO, Unum Group
 * Mr. Mickey Herbert - President & CEO, ConnectiCare, Inc. & Affiliates
 * Mr. Anthony L. Watson - Chairman and CEO, HIP Health Plan of New York
 * Mr. Billy B. Hill - President, United Teacher Associates Insurance Company
 * Mr. Ronald A. Williams - Chairman, President and CEO, Aetna Inc.
 * Mr. John Hopkins - President and CEO, Rocky Mountain Health Plans
 * Mr. Dale B. Wolf - President and CEO, Coventry Health Care Inc.

Member companies
As of September 2009:
 * AEGON USA
 * Aetna
 * Affinity Health Plan
 * Aflac
 * Alameda Alliance for Health
 * Alere Medical Inc.
 * Allegiance Life & Health Insurance Company
 * AlohaCare
 * AMA Insurance Agency
 * American Fidelity Assurance Company
 * American Heritage Life
 * American Medical Security, Inc.
 * American Republic Insurance Company
 * American Specialty Health Incorporated
 * AmeriChoice Health Services, Inc.
 * Amerigroup Corporation
 * AmeriHealth
 * Arcadian Health Plans
 * Arkansas BlueCross Blue Shield
 * Arnett Health Plans, Inc.
 * Assurant Health
 * AultCare Corporation
 * AvMed Health Plan
 * Aveta, Inc
 * Bankers Life and Casualty Company
 * Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont
 * BlueShield of Northeastern New York
 * Blue Cross of Idaho, Northeastern Pennsylvania
 * Blue Shield of California
 * Bluegrass Family Health, Inc.
 * Boston Medical Center Healthnet Plan
 * Bravo Health
 * CalOptima
 * Capital Blue Cross
 * Capital District Physicians' Health Plan
 * Care 1st Health Plan
 * CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
 * CareMore Health Plan
 * CareOregon
 * CareSource
 * Celtic Insurance Company
 * CENTENE Corp.
 * CHCS Services, Inc.
 * Chartered Health Plan
 * Chinese Community Health Plan
 * CIGNA Health Care
 * Clarian Health
 * Colorado Choice Health Plans/San Luis Valley HMO
 * Commercial Travelers Mutual Insurance Company
 * Community Care, Inc.
 * Community Health Network of Connecticut
 * Community Health Partnership
 * Community Health Plan of Washington
 * ConnectiCare, Inc.
 * Conseco, Inc.
 * CoreSource
 * Coventry Health Care, Inc.
 * DAKOTACARE
 * Delta Dental Plans Association
 * Denver Health Medical Plan
 * Disability Management Services, Inc.
 * Elderplan
 * Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield
 * ENCOMPASS Health Management Systems
 * Erickson Advantage
 * Essence, Inc
 * Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
 * Fallon Community Health Plan
 * Family Care, Inc.
 * Family Health Partners
 * Federated Insurance Companies
 * FirstCarolina Care, Inc.
 * First Choice Health Network
 * First Health
 * Fiserv, Inc.
 * Florida Hospital Healthcare System
 * Fox Insurance Company
 * Fresenius Medical Care Health Plan
 * Geisinger Health Plans
 * Gen Re LifeHealth
 * Genworth Financial
 * Group Health Cooperative
 * Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire
 * Group Health Cooperative of SC Wisconsin
 * Group Health Incorporated
 * Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company
 * Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
 * Guildnet, Inc.
 * Gundersen Lutheran Health Plan Inc.
 * Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
 * Hawaii-Western Management Group (HWMG)
 * HDM Corporation
 * HealthPartners, Inc.
 * Health Alliance Plan
 * Health Dialog
 * Health First Health Plan, Inc.
 * Health Net
 * Health New England
 * Health Partners - Philadelphia
 * Health Plan of Michigan
 * Health Plan of Nevada
 * Health Plan of San Joaquin
 * Health Tradition Health Plan
 * HealthEquity
 * Healthfirst, Inc.
 * HealthMarkets
 * HealthNow of New York, Inc.
 * HealthPartners, Inc.
 * HealthPlan Services
 * HealthPlus of Michigan
 * HealthRight, Inc.
 * HealthSpring
 * Healthways, Inc.
 * Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
 * HIP Health Plans
 * Hometown Health Plan
 * Horizon BC/BS of New Jersey
 * Hudson Health Plans
 * Humana, Inc.
 * Illinois Mutual Life Insurance Company
 * Imerica Life and Health Insurance Company
 * The i/mx* Companies
 * Independence Blue Cross, Philadelphia, PA
 * Independent Health
 * Independence Holding Company
 * Inland Empire Health Plan
 * Insurance Administrative Solutions, L.L.C.
 * Integrated Health Plan
 * Inter Valley Health Plan
 * JHA, Inc.
 * John Hancock Financial Services
 * Kaiser Permanente
 * KelseyCare Advantage
 * Kern Health Systems
 * Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Inc.
 * L.A. Care
 * LifeCare Assurance Company
 * LifePlans, Inc.
 * The Lifetime Healthcare Companies
 * Long Term Care Group, Inc.
 * Long Term Care Partners, LLC
 * Lovelace Sandia Health System/Lovelace Health Plan
 * Martin's Point Health Care
 * MedAmerica Insurance Company
 * Medco
 * Medica Health Plan
 * Medical Card Systems, Inc.
 * Medical Mutual of Ohio
 * MemberHealth
 * Mercy Health Plans
 * Metlife
 * Metropolitan Health Plan
 * Mid Rogue Health Plan
 * Molina Healthcare
 * Mount Carmel Health Plan
 * MultiPlan, Inc.
 * Munich Re America HealthCare
 * Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company
 * MVP Health Care
 * National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company
 * Nationwide Life Insurance Company
 * Neighborhood Health Plan
 * Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
 * Neighborhood Health Providers
 * Network Health Plan
 * New West Health Services
 * New York Life Insurance Company
 * The ODS Companies
 * Olympic Health Management Systems, Inc.
 * On Lok Senior Health Services
 * Optum Health
 * OSF Health Plans
 * PacificSource Health Plans
 * Partnership Healthplan of California
 * Passport Health Plan
 * Penn Highlands Health Plan
 * Penn Treaty American Corporation
 * Peoples Health Network
 * Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana
 * Physicians Mutual Insurance Company
 * PHP Companies d/b/a Cariten Healthcare
 * Preferred Care
 * Preferred Care Partners
 * Preferred Health Systems
 * PreferredOne
 * Preferred Plus of Kansas
 * Presbyterian Health Plan
 * PrimeWest Health Systems
 * Principal Financial Group
 * Private Healthcare Systems, Inc. (PHCS)
 * ProSalud HMO Corporation
 * Providence Health Plans
 * Prudential Life Insurance Co. of America
 * Puget Sound Health Partners
 * QualCare, Inc.
 * QualChoice of Arkansas
 * Regence BC/BS of Oregon
 * Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah
 * Regence Blue Shield
 * Regence BlueShield of Idaho
 * Resolution Health
 * Rocky Mountain Health Plans
 * Samaritan Health Plans
 * San Francisco Health Plan
 * Santa Clara Family Health Plan
 * SCAN Health Plan
 * Scott & White Health Plan
 * Senior Health Insurance Company of Pennsylvania
 * Senior Whole Health, LLC
 * Sentara Healthcare
 * Sharp Health Plan
 * Silver Script Insurance Company
 * Southeastern Indiana Health Organization
 * Starmark
 * State Farm Insurance Companies
 * Stonebridge Life Insurance Company
 * Sun Health MediSun, Inc.
 * Swiss Re Life & Health America, Inc.
 * TakeCare Insurance Co.
 * Teachers Protective Mutual Life Insurance Company
 * Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
 * Touchstone Health Partnership, Inc.
 * Transamerica Life Insurance Company
 * Trillium Community Health Plan
 * TriWest Healthcare Alliance
 * Tufts Health Plan
 * Trustmark Insurance Company
 * UCare
 * UNICARE Life & Health Insurance Company
 * United HealthCare
 * United Teacher Associates Insurance Company
 * United Security Life & Health
 * UnitedHealth Group
 * Unity Health Plans
 * Unison Administrative Services
 * Univera Healthcare
 * Universal American Corp
 * University Health Alliance
 * Universal Health Care
 * Unum Group
 * UPMC Health Plan
 * Upper Peninsula Health Plan
 * USAA Life Insurance Company
 * USHEALTH Group, Inc.
 * ViaHealth Managed Care Services
 * Virginia Premier
 * VNS Choice
 * Vytra Health Plans
 * Wakely and Associates
 * Wausau Benefits, Inc.
 * WellCare Health Plans
 * Wells Fargo
 * WellPoint, Inc.
 * Western Health Advantage
 * WINHealth Partners
 * World Insurance Company
 * XL Health
 * Yale University Health Services
 * Zurich North America

Contact information
America's Health Insurance Plans 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW South Building Suite 500 Washington, DC 20004

Phone: 202.778.3200 Fax: 202.331.7487

Website: www.ahip.org Email: ahip AT ahip.org

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Astroturf
 * Democracy Data & Communications, LLC (DDC)
 * Dewey Square Group

External articles

 * Noam Levey and Lisa Girion, Health insurers offer shift on premiums. A proposal from major companies to stop charging sick people more for coverage comes with conditions, Los Angeles Times, March 25, 2009.
 * Trudy Lieberman, "A Laurel to the Eagle-Tribune: Paper gets Astroturfed and smells a rat," Columbia Journalism Review Campaign Desk, April 24, 2009.
 * Ryan Chuttum, "Reuters is Excellent in Digging Up Insurer's Tactics," Columbia Journalism Review, March 17, 2010