[EL] An Aetna Experiment

Fri Jun 15 11:19:09 PDT 2012

Another explanation is that it really opposes the individual mandate but publicly says it support it because it is a highly regulated company that doesn't want to get crosswise with the government that regulates it.  Publicly sucking up to those who can make your life miserable is hardly a new development.

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Mark Schmitt
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 9:23 AM
To: law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] An Aetna Experiment

We already know Aetna's position on health reform, from it's actual speech on the issue, which is different from the contributions it makes to influence elections. Aetna's position on health reform, going back a decade, has been that it supports an individual mandate, but opposes other insurance regulations.  (http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/27/3/667.full)

Aetna's contributions to Republican candidates through these electoral committees will likely fund a message that, if it talks about health reform at all, will take the opposite position, attacking the mandate while promising to retain some of the more popular insurance regulations, such as guaranteed issue. Why? Because that's simply a more effective message for electing Republicans.

That contradiction is interesting to know about. And if the Supreme Court overturns the whole health law, and the Romney administration somehow neglects to fulfill its promise to restore or keep the insurance regulations, the influence of mega-donors like Aetna might just have something to do with it.

It's also strong evidence that these contributions have nothing to do with expression of a corporation's views, but simply getting Republicans elected.

On 6/15/2012 8:49 AM, Steve Hoersting wrote:
So, Aetna has disclosed the fact that it supports those who support medical markets.  This is interesting, and surprising.  Finally, the voters will learn that the Chamber really supports free enterprise.

But let's see what, if anything, happens to Aetna in the next few months.  We will see whether the voters simply take their cues from this disclosure and better understand the Chamber's message.  Or see whether the disclosure paves the way for boycotts or brickbats.

If the Target<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/02/target-gay-marriage-ban-minnesota_n_1564739.html> matter is any indicator, Color of Change or, perhaps, Kathleen Sebelius in this case (see Michael Cannon and Diane Cohen's latest study<http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/302876/ipab-obamacare-s-super-legislature-michael-f-cannon?pg=2> to understand what I mean) will have Aetna selling "Single Payer" t-shirts by October.

Steve Hoersting
On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 12:02 AM, Rick Hasen <rhasen at law.uci.edu<mailto:rhasen at law.uci.edu>> wrote:
Back Monday<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35746>
Posted on June 14, 2012 9:01 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35746> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

See you then.
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Posted in Uncategorized<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1> | Comments Off
"Aetna Confirms It Gave $7.8 Million To Chamber, American Action Network"<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35744>
Posted on June 14, 2012 9:00 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35744> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Tip of a very large iceberg, I suspect.

Must-read<http://news.bna.com/mpdm/MPDMWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=27071457&vname=mpebulallissues&jd=a0d3d5m7n5&split=0> Bloomberg BNA: "The insurance company Aetna confirmed June 14 that it donated about $7.8 million to two major Republican-leaning organizations-the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Action Network-which have sponsored tens of millions of dollars worth of political ads but have never disclosed their funding sources. The revelation-which came due to an accidental filing by Aetna-was significant because few, if any, political donations from large, public corporations have been revealed previously....'We support organizations and candidates who share our views on how to fix the problems facing our health care system, as well as our country,' [Aetna President] Bertolini said. 'We fully comply with all federal and state disclosure requirements.'...The Chamber spent over $30 million on television ads in the 2010 congressional elections-nearly all of it backing Republican candidates or attacking Democrats."
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law and election law<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off
"Let Them Give Millions"<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35741>
Posted on June 14, 2012 8:54 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35741> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Andrew Rosenthal<http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/let-them-give-millions/?ref=politics> on Newt Gingrich's campaign finance complaints.
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | Comments Off
"FEC Deadlocks On Attempted Evasion of Disclosure Laws"<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35738>
Posted on June 14, 2012 5:28 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35738> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

This item<http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1766:june-14-2012-fec-deadlocks-on-attempted-evasion-of-disclosure-laws&catid=63:legal-center-press-releases&Itemid=61> appears at the CLC Blog.
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, federal election commission<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=24> | Comments Off
"Florida governor mistaken for dead in 2006 vote"<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35736>
Posted on June 14, 2012 5:27 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35736> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Reuters<http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/14/us-usa-voting-florida-idUSBRE85D15R20120614>: "Florida's governor, who is leading a disputed purge of voter registration rolls, had to cast a provisional ballot in 2006 because officials mistakenly thought he was dead, election officials said on Thursday."
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Posted in election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The Voting Wars<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off
"WyLiberty Attorneys File Lawsuit to Stop FEC Chill on Free Speech"<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35733>
Posted on June 14, 2012 2:03 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35733> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Press release<http://wyliberty.org/feature/wyliberty-attorneys-file-lawsuit-to-stop-fec-chill-on-free-speech/>: "Wyoming Liberty Group attorneys filed a lawsuit<http://wyliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Free-Speech-v-FEC-Verified-Complaint.pdf> in the Wyoming federal district court today against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on behalf of Free Speech, a Wyoming grassroots organization...The suit, Free Speech v. Federal Election Commission, argues that vague and overbroad FEC regulations, which require grassroots groups to register as 'political committees' (PACs), effectively shut down much speech in the heartland."

It is not clear how much this complaint overlaps with the recent 4th Circuit decision<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35602> in the Real Truth About Obama case.
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | Comments Off
"Law & Order: Election Administration Unit; News Roundup: 2012 has been a litigious year"<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35730>
Posted on June 14, 2012 12:17 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35730> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

That's the lead story in this week's Electionline Weekly.<http://www.electionline.org/index.php/electionline-weekly>
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Posted in election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The Voting Wars<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off
Justice Kennedy Issues Temporary Stay in Arizona Voter Registration Case<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35727>
Posted on June 14, 2012 12:11 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35727> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

SCOTUSBlog<http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/06/new-arizona-election-plea/>: "FINAL UPDATE Thursday 2:20 p.m.   Justice Kennedy has issued a temporary order<http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Kennedy-order-11A1189.pdf> delaying the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling, at least until further briefs are filed in the case.  The Circuit Court mandate was due to be issued tomorrow, but now will be delayed until at least next Wednesday afternoon.  The challengers to the Arizona citizenship proof requirement are to file a brief by Monday afternoon, with a state reply due by noon Wednesday.   Earlier today, this post was updated to provide a link to the application, here<http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/11A1189-AZ-applic.pdf>."
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Posted in NVRA (motor voter)<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=33> | Comments Off

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