This story was reported for San Diego News Network on November 2, 2009.
Three single-payer health care supporters were arrested Monday after protesting outside the Mission Valley office of Blue Shield of California.
The protest was a part of a nationwide campaign to dispute health care companies, who demonstrators claim have been raising premiums throughout the recession and have lobbied against the single-payer system.
“The enormous amounts of money you’ve seen health insurance corporations lavishing on members of Congress, on non-stop TV ads, and advertising is killing us,” said protest organizer Jerry Malamud, who was also arrested. “Where do they get the money they spend to rig debate about the health care system? By denying care to those who need it most – in California one out of every five treatments is denied by an insurance company, resulting in denial of treatments and deaths.”
But a spokesperson for Blue Shield of California says the company has spoken in support of universal health care. Additionally, he said the company has not taken a stand for or against the public option.
The San Diego protest is part of the “Mobilization for Health for All” campaign that started in September. It was created by Center for the Working Poor, Healthcare – NOW! and Prosperity Agenda, and supported by the Single Payer Action Coalition and members of Progressive Democrats of America.
Campaign organizers have protested against and outside the offices of health care companies including Humana, CareFirst, United Health Care, WellPoint and others.
The local protest began over the weekend with more than 150 San Diegans gathering outside the Blue Shield of California office for 45 hours – one hour for every 1,000 people who have died each year due to the lack of health care – said campaign spokesperson Sylvia Hampton. About 30 demonstrators remained by Monday morning.
“So many people across the country lack real health care, while for-profit health insurance companies are being allowed to direct the system,” Hampton said. “They [politicians] have let the for-profit companies direct our health care.”
Malamud, before he was arrested around 12:30 p.m. on Monday, said he sent Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO Crystal Hayling a letter addressing his concerns with the company’s involvement in the health care debate.
The letter stated:
“We are in a battle to control our own destiny and are coming together in this cause that affects us all. We are voting with our voices and our dollars. We are the purse strings and demand control over our own care. The demands we are calling for are:
“Immediately cease all spending on lobbying, political ads, and campaign contributions and use the money to pay for all doctor-requested treatment for member patients with life-threatening illnesses.”
The letter notes a delivery to Hayling on Oct. 29 and asks for a response by Nov. 2.
Malamud said a response was not received and therefore, he and about 30 other protestors marched to the Blue Shield of California offices Monday morning.
Shelia Dvorak – West Coast organizer for Mobilization for Health Care for All and who was arrested in a Los Angeles protest on Oct. 15 – said the protests were happening in 20 cities nationwide, each taking “demands” to health insurance companies. She also said in each protest, supporters volunteer to be arrested at each sit-in. In this case, three people donning “Patients not Profits” t-shirts volunteered.
The three volunteers, including Malamud, marched inside the offices of Blue Shield of California, while others sat outside chanting “Patients not Profits,” for nearly two hours before being arrested.
The three arrested protestors — Malamud, Carl Manaster and Mary Bell — join the 115 people who have been arrested across the country. According to Monica Múnoz, spokesperson for the San Diego Police Department, the three were released and cited for trespassing.
“They received a misdemeanor citation and were released from the police station with a promise to appear in court,” she said. “They were cited because they refused to allow people who were customers of the business to pass through the doors and enter the business. They refused to leave when asked to do so by the property managers and tenants.”
While the protestors rail against the insurance giant, spokesperson Aron Ezra of Blue Shield of California said his company is not a for-profit organization.
“We’re a not for profit organization,” said Ezra. “There’s a huge amount of incorrect information presented in the protests. They are totally wrong on multiple levels.”
Blue Shield of California is separate from Blue Cross. Additionally, Erza noted that the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is also separate from Blue Shield of California. In some states, though, Blue Cross and Blue Shield work as one entity – but not in California.
Furthermore, Ezra said, the Blue Shield of California Foundation has donated nearly $100 million in the last three years to non-profit organizations “to support health care services for the needy and vulnerable, strengthen the health care safety net and combat domestic violence.”
Ezra also said Blue Shield of California has spoken in support of universal health care since 2002.
“In fact, our CEO Bruce Bodaken gave a speech advocating for universal health care in 2002 – which is pretty much the same thing they’re kicking around in Washington D.C. right now,” he said. “We’ve backed universal coverage again and again and again. Our whole history has been around trying to forward universal health care.”
When asked if there was proof that health insurance companies, like Blue Shield of California, are working jointly with congressional leaders in fighting the single-payer proposal -protest spokesperson Hampton said some evidence could be found.
“But you can’t always prove what the mafia is doing either,” Hampton said.
According to the National Health Interview Survey, in 2007, there were 510,000 uninsured San Diegans in the county; six million in California and 45 million in the U.S.
Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.