Insurance Center

WASHINGTON
From its present forum of public meetings, the health care debate is moving into the realm of television as factions on each side of the issue are launching multimillion-dollar ad champagnes to advance the debate.

Such groups such as the AARP and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are expending as much as a combined total of $500,000 daily on health care, as stated by the non-partisan Campaign Media Analysis Group. Through this they are able to reach TV viewers in more than 20 states.
This present deluge of advertising appears as President Obama and the Democrats in Congress attempt to refocus the national dialogue regarding healthcare reform by explaining their proposals. This follows the fact that some lawmakers have been faced with stiff criticism at town-hall-style meetings in their home states this last month.

Campaign Media Analysis Group consultant Evan Tracey says that the situation has gone from where everyone would seem to be cheerleading on the sidelines to where everyone is now putting on uniforms and getting out on the field. She mentioned that things are really starting to happen.

All groups combined are said to have invested a total of $57 million in healthcare ads this year, according to Tracey.
Those who support overhauling the present system are said to have been outspending opponents at a rate of roughly 2-to-1. A $12 million ad campaign was launched last Thursday by a group called Americans for Stable Quality Care. They are in support of the health care reform efforts. The ad focuses on how the new legislation would affect people who already have insurance, and they highlight a provision that is said to protect people with pre-existing conditions from losing their coverage.

Ken Johnson of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, points to this being a very noisy August. He is speaking for his group which represents the drug industry and is a leading funder of the new coalition. He says that the organization is trying to raise awareness of why health care reform is so important.

Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, another member of the coalition says that they have ads that are scheduled initially to run for two weeks in 12 states. These include Colorado, Virginia, Maine and Montana, said. He notes how these states are home to lawmakers who could be swing votes on the issue of health care.

Pollack says that they want to provide support for key members of Congress so that their constituents will understand them when they vote for health care reform.

The Chamber of Commerce began airing earlier in the week, a spot that is critical of legislation being proposed by Democrats. They say that the legislation would create a government-run insurance program, and that this would in turn lead to an expensive and inefficient system. The ads are running in 21 states. Many of these states have a plurality of moderates.