In North Carolina, 20 lawmakers signed a letter to Attorney General Roy Cooper and State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin urging them to investigate the lobbying activities of BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina. In particular, the lawmakers are concerned that the nonprofit insurer encouraged customers to send pre-printed postcards to Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) to ask her to vote against current healthcare reform legislation, spending thousands of dollars paid by policyholders in the process. The state lawmakers also allege that the insurer is using automatic “robocalls” reiterating the message to send Hagan the postcards. The Attorney General’s office said they are determining whether the robo calls included appropriate contact information, and whether the insurer violated the “do not call” list.

The letter points out that BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina has a 96.8% share in the state’s individual insurance market “built on over 60 years of preferred tax exemptions,” and are concerned “that they have inappropriately engaged in political advocacy.” The lawmakers said that while strongly committed to the First Amendment, “we do not believe that policyholders intended for their relationship with Blue Cross to be used in this manner.”

NC Lawmakers Seek Inquiry Into Blue’s Lobbying (Ins & Financial Advisor 11/26/09)

December 1, 2009