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Fat cats won’t make room at the table

Post on July 24, 2009 by 6 Comments »

This morning members of the State Employees Association of North Carolina filed up the escalator of Raleigh’s downtown Sheraton Hotel to participate in the Executive Health Policy Forum hosted by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, GlaxoSmithKline, and others.

SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope was stopped at the door and told that the forum was actually more of a private gathering. And even if SEANC were allowed in, a stern looking man informed us, there weren’t any more seats available.

Apparently the executives won’t make room for average people who could provide them with a dose of reality about our health care system. I’m guessing Blue Cross CEO Bob Greczyn has never had a claim denied. [We'll have some video of the event later.]

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Comments (Closed):6

  1. Kimberly
    July 24, 2009 at 11:15 am

    http://bluenc.com/nc-blue-cross-doesnt-think-public-option-needed

    I don’t see how they could turn people away unless it was a for private invitation only event not paid for by the public. I guess they really wanted to keep what they were saying confidential or they didn’t want to hear from those who support Health Care Reform with a National Public Health Plan. I was so infuriated by Blue Cross’s comments in a story I read on WRAL this morning that I wrote the above linked article and posted it on bluenc.com.

  2. gregflynn
    July 24, 2009 at 11:39 am

    On its website the Chamber headline now says:

    July 24
    Health Care Policy Forum
    Join a critical discussion about major health care legislation pending in Washington and Raleigh at this member’s only event.

    But the original content clearly stated a registration fee for non-members:

    Health Care Policy Forum
    Friday, July 24, 2009
    8 – 10:15 a.m.

    Sheraton Raleigh Hotel
    421 S. Salisbury St.
    Location Map

    FREE for employees of member firms
    $15 non-members

  3. AdamL
    July 24, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    I think they did tell Dana Cope that it was $15 but that there was no more room.

  4. Elaine
    July 24, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    You should have been sent complimentary invitations to the event. We pay enough in premiums for our representatives to be treated as a member firm. Please let us know if this happens again.

  5. AdamL
    July 24, 2009 at 12:03 pm

    And they said it was “private,” so I’m not sure what that means for non-members.

  6. Adam Searing
    July 24, 2009 at 2:19 pm

    Chant: “LET US IN…LET US IN…LET US IN…LET US IN…”