“Harry and Louise” Influence Public Opinion in 1993-94.

“Having choices we don’t like is no choice at all!” exclaims Louise in the 1993 TV advertisement funded by the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) in response to President Clinton’s Health Security Act of 1993. The HIAA is a lobbying group for the Health Insurance Industry that felt threatened by Clinton’s Plan. A study by Goldsteen et al., published in Journal of Health Politics, reveals that the HIAA felt that the public was embracing Clinton’s Plan and mounted “commercial-style mass media campaigns” to turn public opinion against the proposed healthcare reform. This campaign was successful in inciting “Fear” of the government controlling our access to health care. Along with oppositions from other special interest groups, uncompromising Republicans, and complacent Americans, Clinton’s Plan failed.

Do you have concerns about allowing the U.S. Government taking over the health care industry and creating a single-payer system? In these times of economic troubles, would a single-payer plan that does away with business like Health Insurance Companies and HMOs further jeopardize our countries economic recovery or is it the way to go?