Recently, I have heard several BCBS of MI radio ads touting popularism asking for support of legislation to punish and limit other insurers doing business in the state. I tend to believe this to be throwing away the premiums collected from those of use with BCBS plans. They pass on the cost of the advertising anyhow.. They can, they are “non profit.”
However, how much does a non profit spend in advertising before it is seen as a “competing insurer,” particularly when it is pushing for legislative changes. Those legislative changes would affect free market insurers by limiting profits, limiting accessibility, and creating undue hardship on the insurers (as legislation often does to all business) so they cannot compete with the Blues. (who by the way receive approx 80 million a year in tax breaks as a result of their special status with the state.)
Make no mistake about it, non profit does NOT mean there aren’t people making good money running BCBS, and don’t think there isn’t a reasonable expectation of those incomes to increase with the reduction of competitive forces in Michigan. It’s ALWAYS about the money, and when you are talking about the BILLIONS in health care in Michigan alone, there is plenty of motivation for any entity to rid itself of competition by means of legislative knife throwing.