As the nation faces a political showdown over health insurance reform, insurers worried that an overhaul could hurt their bottom line are funneling a wave of cash to members of Congress.
That includes Minnesota, where Republicans are the biggest beneficiaries of the industry's largesse. Sixth District Rep. Michele Bachmann, an outspoken foe of a government insurance option, is among the top recipients this year in the entire U.S. House. Third District Rep. Erik Paulsen and Second District Rep. John Kline also ranked high in contributions received.
Health and accident insurers and HMOs have spent more than $40 million on current members of Congress over the past 10 years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which analyzed Federal Election Commission data.
They've also spent an additional half-billion dollars lobbying during the decade.
Health insurers worry that a "public option" favored by President Obama and House Democrats could hurt private competitors and even drive some out of business.
Obama appeared to take direct aim at insurers in a town hall meeting earlier this week, when he said that the $177 billion the government spends on Medicare Advantage, a private-sector version of Medicare, offered no real advantage and could be redirected to health care reform.
Insurers find themselves ever more isolated in the national health care debate since their former allies -- the pharmaceutical and hospital industries -- have struck their own partial and tentative agreements with the White House and some Democratic members of Congress.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday labeled health insurers "villains," saying that "they have been a part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening."
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