NU Online News Service, April 23, 10:30 a.m.EDT

WASHINGTON–A coalition of five producer trade groupsrepresenting the life, property-casualty and health insuranceindustries wrote key members of Congress yesterday urging them notto push through health care reform using a fast track method thatcould avoid Republican input.

The letter asked that "budget reconciliation," a quick processfor legislation, not be used to speed through a health careprogram.

Using that rapid procedure could limit opposition to the healthcare "public option" favored by Democrats. That proposal wouldutilize the resources of Medicare and Medicaid to serve ascompetition to products offered by private health insurers, most ofwhom pay commissions to insurance agents to obtain business.

Democrats in Congress are proposing to include health carereform in budget reconciliation through acceptance of the Houseversion of the budget plan.

Such a step would mean that only 51 votes would be needed topass a broad, health care reform measure in the Senate, instead ofthe 60 votes normally required for important bills. Democratscurrently occupy 58 Senate seats and Republicans 41 with theMinnesota seat currently vacant.

The Association of Health Insurance Advisers, the health andemployee benefits trade group that is part of the NationalAssociation of Insurance and Financial Advisers, in another lettersent to Congress last week, said they are concerned that withoutsome Republican input, the "public option" for health care would bepushed through by Democrats.

And AHIA President Robelynn H. Abadie has written Congress, that"AHIA is especially concerned with the public plan as a major stepdown the road toward a single-payer, government-run health caresystem."

She wrote that, AHIA as an organization "believes the privatehealth insurance system is best equipped to provide options forfamilies and businesses."

Ms. Abadie's letter said, "Promoters of the government-run planoption always state or imply that a government-run plan thateliminates the role of the agent will lower administrativecosts.

"But administrative costs are not reduced simply by switchingadministrators–a government plan will not be less expensive unlessservices are reduced in some as yet ill-defined way," she said.

In the latest letter, the trade groups said, "We, theundersigned organizations, representing health insurance advisors,agents, brokers, consultants and employee benefit specialists, arewriting to strongly urge you to exclude health care reform from thebudget reconciliation instructions," the letter said.

"An issue of this magnitude deserves its due consideration underregular order," the letter explained.

It was signed by representatives of AHIA; the Council ofInsurance Agents & Brokers; the Independent Insurance Agents& Brokers of America; the National Association of HealthUnderwriters; and NAIFA itself.

"We applaud Congress and the administration for making healthcare reform a top priority this year and agree that thislegislation must be a bipartisan product with consultation andcooperation from the American public as well as stakeholdersrepresenting all sides," the coalition letter said.

"However, we fear the spirit of bipartisan cooperation will belost if regular order is put aside and the reconciliation processis utilized to fast track health care reform legislation," theletter said.

"The future of the nation's health care system deserves nothingless than an open, bipartisan and transparent debate by Congress,"the letter added.