Will Ferrell, Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Mock Insurance Execs, Push Public Option

Ah, to be part of the Hollywood clique.
“We” earn millions but aren’t evil like the insurance execs. What hypocrites!

I agree that a public option could get millions of Americans covered, depending on how it is run.
I disagree with, and see no evidence for, the assertion that a public option will reduce health care COSTS.
Unless there is rationing. Which nobody wants to talk about.

Why are we not talking abour health care too? Lets improve the health care and health Ins system. We do not need to make a Gov run company. Why do we listen to movie and tv stars? Ask a dr you trust what they think! Shocker, they do not like Obama’s plan!!!

Glad the overpaid millionaires spouting smart ass commentary based on unsubstantiated anecdotal stories weighed in.
Why don’t you go dribble out some more crap movies like we’ve been seeing and mistake that for relevance in a real debate.
Of course, no mention of the hundreds of thousands of employees in the ins. industry; gotta be only the CEO’s getting paid. No WAY this industry does anything to help anyone stay employed… beat the recession… provide actual care.
Appears some folks are still stuck on Enron and skipped business classes to go study how to react properly to fake dog turd on a set.
Offer a clue, when you get one Hollywood

Sounds like the big fat rich capitalist Michael Moore getting even richer (and fatter) making a movie about how evil capitalism is.
What a country!

Medicare proves that government can do some things better than the holy private sector.
==========
Yes. They can run up an unfunded debt and stay in business way better than anyone in the private sector.

The Public Option did not “go” away…as per BO himself, it is still there hiding behind somebody’s pants. And, BTW who if Ferrell (never have watched him)..a person who makes an ### out of himself is truly not competent to talk about anything with a serious intelligence bent!

Hey Hannalee;
Follow your own advice before giving it.
Nothing in that video was intellgient discourse, it’s a total misreprentation of the situation using anecdotal information.
The Hollywood people want to actually discuss the public option fine, but wrapping it in a pretext that the alternative is simply to make CEO’s more rich is outright stupidity.
There is nothing to add in the commentary of the debate by that video other than an attempt at “star power”. I don’t watch Blades of Glory or Old School to watch Will Ferrell’s reasoned intelligence regarding social issues.
His role in society and reason for notoriety is quite simply the modern equivalent of a court jester.
Stop drinking the kool-aid and go find out what facts are and then point any that were in there. The 80 million figure is a distortion of the source POLL it’s based on.
You like it, because you agree with it. That doesn’t make it right.

-I love the commercial. It very clearly demonstrates that standing against a public option is doing nothing but supporting the bloated profits and salaries of executives in the health insurance industry.-
Will Ferrell #9 – Will Ferrell
Estimated Net Worth: $31 million

The ad spot is hilarious and just SO true! Why are we fighting so hard for the Insurance industry that is getting rich off of us? Money spent for health care should go to what??? ONLY HEALTHCARE FOR EACH AND EVERY AMERICAN!!! WHEN AMERICANS ARE HEALTHY THEY ARE PROSPEROUS AND ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SOCIETY MORE READILY.. IT’S JUST SO SIMPLE PEOPLE!!!
NO MORE MILLIONS FOR HEALTH INSURANCE EXECUTIVES!!

“The insurance execs pad their pockets by denying claims and treatments, canceling policies, and other unfair practices to increase their profits. This results in true suffering, bankruptcies and deaths. ”
Sheer rubbish. They earn a profit by offering a product that consumers like at a price they are willing to pay. If they don’t honor their contracts they are subject to substantial monetary damages in a court of law, and in any event cannot survive in the marketplace.
When the government denies you treatment, the ballgame is over. The poor souls living with the squalor of Britain’s NHS have no recourse at all. The NHS has just announced that it will have insufficient funds to care for those now approaching old age, and that such people should begin planning to bear the costs of their care themselves.
And yet the sheep continue to believe that the government will take care of them.

Follow the money: who gets rich with the public option?
SEIU, ACORN, other unions (bails out their current healthcare liabilities), attorneys, consulting firms, big pharma (already cut deal with Obama), etc. etc.
It is laughably naive to think one side doesn’t have a massive financial agenda.

Examples, just google unfair health insurance practices and you’ll find lots of consumer group facts about these unfair practices. I’m surprised you haven’t read about the stories that make the national news when people are denied treatments because of ‘pre-existing’ conditions they didn’t disclose. One guy hadn’t written down he had acne as a teen and he was denied an operation for cancer. The industry actually employs a team of ‘adjustors’ who look for any small reason to cancel your policy or deny treatment if your illness looks ‘expensive’. Eventually the patient, after paying a lawyer to fight for them, can get their rights restored but in the case of cancer, losing that time can be fatal. Not to mention the added stress.
When Obama said that no one should have to be worried about paying their medical bills when they are ill, just concentrate on getting well, it really hit a nerve for me. It saddens me when uninformed people don’t see the good a public option would do for all of us, those without insurance now and those paying high premiums.
(Personally, I have a sister who worked for a big health insurance company and she was instructed to never pay a doctor’s claim the first time it was submitted. The idea was to make the doctor wait months to get paid, as the longer the insurance company held the money, the more interest it could make on it. Never mind the unnecessary expense for the doctor, passed on to all of us, for all that wasted time re-submitting claims. This is just one way they waste our health care dollars. Ever notice how many people have to work in billing at your doctors office? That’s one reason why.)

“It’s true that the health insurance industry has spent millions of dollars to fight a public health insurance option.”
Posted by: Alyson | Sep 22, 2009 1:57:43 PM
SO WHAT? The pharmaceutical industry has spent millions of dollars to fight FOR a public health insurance option. Is one profit-making industry more evil than the other?

..”.especially if you have no one to resort to other than your bought and paid for Congressional representative.”
Or the POTUS. The meeting went great!

I guess I know who I won’t see in a movie now!

Examples, your example of British doctors misdiagnosing because of their national health plan, frankly, makes little sense. We have a ton of misdiagnoses here, too, because of the nature of being a doctor.
And the fact that they weren’t serious mistakes leads me to believe American doctors wouldn’t rate much differently. How many times have any of us gone to the doctor, told we had one thing and a week later on returning, it was something else. Gosh, it took seeing 4 different specialists all saying something different to diagnose my brother’s recent health problem.

“At least we have a national plan for seniors, government employees, and veterans. I bet all the congressmen and senators love their national health plan. Why don’tr normal people deserve the same plan as them?”
Posted by: Beth | Sep 22, 2009 2:32:30 PM
Congressmen get the type of “Cadillac Plan” that the Senate Baucus bill would tax HEAVILY.

Looks like they got the talking points from the White House.
Were these two clowns on the NEA call with the White House also?
Your tax dollars at work for Obama Agitprop.

Just proves that celebrities are stupid. Instead of a public option- that I pay for- how’s about a Hollywood option?? All those grossly overpaid hollywood types actors,directors, producers,singers,musicians, Oprah, comedians etc.can put 85% of their net worth into a pot to finance an option for the folks that won’t or can’t earn their own.
IT’S CALLED CHARITY!

was Will on the NEA conference call too? Gee I missed him.
Unfortunately, Ferrell’s particular form of comedy is playing the idiot, which may be too close to home for him.
The president doesn’t know the truth from a tree stump; no one quite knows what is in the bills, but we do know that the president has tied to buy off the pharmaceutical companies, the AMA, and the trial lawyers. Harry Reid is already larding any legislation with payoffs for his supporters.
On the other hand 56% of the American people don’t trust the president and Congress.
85% of us have health care. Most of us like it. Of the 15% without, the largest demographic is the 18-35 year olds. the president wants to fix this with a $1500/year/individual tax he does not want to call a tax.
The President wants to strip Medicare of $500 Billion and says there will be no degradation of service. So how exactly are we to believe a word he says?

It amazes me the way people who have never had to fend for themselves in the business world have this childish utopian dream that some government employee is going to be “on their side” when it comes to saving them (or the US tax payer) money on health care. After working for the last decade on straight commission (I actually have to produce money for my employer in order to get paid), I realize that as much as I dislike the money-grubbing insurance folks, they’re there for a legitimate reason. It’s just business, and I still trust them more than some government employee getting their 70k a year to push around billions of dollars in health care policies. If you think the insurance companies couldn’t care less about you, wait until it’s a bureaucrat with a bad attitude who doesn’t think they get paid enough for the job they’re doing. Saving money…. Ha!!! Isn’t this the same government that was 5 x over budget a decade after the inception of Medicare? I’m not saying a lot of people don’t depend on Medicare, but in order to think that the government is going to SAVE us money on anything the entire country must have the attention span of a gold fish.

the extremist conservative marginalization continues!
Now they “ain’t gonna watch Will Ferrell no more. They don’t like anyone who says nuthin’ bad about Palin neither.”

You know Lydia you just outlined what in the system needs to be fixed and it’s fair competition. Insurance regulations cause monopolies which allow them to keep premiums up and drag out payment. Allow some additional competition from the free market and see what happens. I guarrantee a NHS will just lead to a bunch of incompetants trying to figure out how to do as little as possible and then our trusted elected congress figuring out how to increase spending the increased cash flow for their own pet projects. I say ley us keep our money, free up interstate competition, put some guidelines outthere and let industry battle it out.

Those who hate the public option because it’s run by “the government”, must be in favor of dumping all those wounded and ill veterans onto the private insurance system by closing the V-A. Let them be denied coverage for their wounds and have to pay a co-payment for their medications. Even Rush Limbaugh likes the V-A, socialized medicine that works. And, how many elderly conservatives want the government to scrap medicare? One funny sign I saw at a town hall meeting sums up the stupidity, “keep the government’s hands out of my medicare”.

Free Ride, interstate competition between health insurance companies would just make the nightmare of filing claims and forms by doctors and hospitals that much worse. Which would make it more expensive for us, as more billing clerks would be needed.

I love reading the responses from the greatly mis-informed. It makes me feel good to be an American.

was Will on the NEA conference call too? Gee I missed him.
posted by matt
its all a pay for play or is it play for pay, I scratch your back you scratch mine. I wonder how much bail-out they received for their endorsement.

when has the government ever in history been able to cut wasteful spending just name the time this is socialist plain and simple

“This is my maiden voyage. My first speech since I was the president of the United States and I couldn’t think of a better place to give it than Calgary, Canada.” –George W. Bush

NICE JOB MOVEON !! YOU HIT IT OUT OF THE BALLPARK. RIGHTIES ARE NO FUN…

“when has the government ever in history been able to cut wasteful spending”—Obama actually has a bill out there to bring the college loan program back into the government. Right now, the government guarrentees the loans, if not paid back, the government will pay the bank the amount of the loan. BUT if hte loan IS paid back, the BANK gets to profit from the interest. huh???? so the government takes all the RISK but gets no PROFIT from the loan program. obama said no. No, if you want a loan, apply to the government agency, get your loan, pay it back TO US. Our tax dollars that paidfor hte loan gets teh money back when it’s paid back. Perfect example of Obama being a thinking man making good decisions and doing a good job.

I agree, some companies make too much money, we should cap all corporate profits at say, five percent. Top executive pay at say, 200K per year. All the rest could go to the federal government to equalize incomes.

the video is right on!
and justsayn, i agree with your comments completely (and i’m not just saying that because our names are so similar!)

Some effective measures and regulations and saving money on foreign wars better be done to bring healthcare costs down or our economy will never be allowed to recover and our paychecks will go down paying for expensive healthcare in old age.

Who in their right mind gives a rat’s backside what that idiot Ferrell or that two-bit actor Hamm think or believe? Only Obama’s parasitic constituents will succumb to this leftist propaganda.

Something terrible has happened! Actors make way too much money for the limited services they actually provide. While the rest of us have to work our tails off to make a five figure income and still we may lose our houses, these actors make seven figure salaries for pretending to be other people! They will not be affected by anything the government does except for censorship. They should be careful what they wish for.

This is doesn’t even rate a zero on any scale.

To the person who said cap exec’s pay at 200K: Why? They run multi billion dollar companies and have huge responsibilities.
Actors on the other hand can make $20M per picture and they bear no responsibilities to the country’s economy.
How about YOU work for minimum wage? Why not? What do you contribute to the country? I think it is this administration’s plan that we ALL work for minimum wage so we are equally poor. Then we have to depend on them for everything. Actors are basically stupid. They live in their own world and have none of the problems you do. Well, except for maybe drug abuse, failed marriages, criminal activity, poor parenting, etc. I guess buying a $10M house doesn’t give you much peace. Why do we continue to love and honor these people? In the long run, they give us nothing. We on the other hand give them everything. We buy tickets to movies, Netflix, DVD’s, very expensive candy and popcorn, and a whole lot more. Not to exclude amazingly high salaries. And what do they do? Give us their opinion? It is so funny that politicians and actors are paid for by US but they love to tell US what to do. Next time you go to work (if you have a job)try telling your boss what to do. Tell him how to vote and what kind of car to drive. Tell him what you can and can’t say at the office. Tell him how much you think he should make at his job. See how that works for you.

Wow, OK, this is simple. These people on here are most likely the same types that freaked out when we suggested eliminating slavery. So, the only thing to do is pass this thing, let these people cry until they fall asleep in their cereal and then live with the decision that this country can take care of ALL its people and not just the rich. Yes, please talk to people in Canada and UK. Once you get past the general whining that all humans do you’ll find they like their health system and can’t believe we have to pay for ours. So, all of you, get over it. Stop listening to the fear mongers. Live your life knowing that if you or a loved one gets sick or injured you can go to the hospital or doctor and take care of it. That’s it. No money out of pocket, no worrying about how to pay the medical bills.

Wow, OK, this is simple. These people on here are most likely the same types that freaked out when we suggested eliminating slavery. So, the only thing to do is pass this thing, let these people cry until they fall asleep in their cereal and then live with the decision that this country can take care of ALL its people and not just the rich. Yes, please talk to people in Canada and UK. Once you get past the general whining that all humans do you’ll find they like their health system and can’t believe we have to pay for ours. So, all of you, get over it. Stop listening to the fear mongers. Live your life knowing that if you or a loved one gets sick or injured you can go to the hospital or doctor and take care of it. That’s it. No money out of pocket, no worrying about how to pay the medical bills.
Posted by: OR | Sep 22, 2009 5:20:16 PM
Ummm, Democrats were wrong then about not wanting to end slavery and they are wrong again about introducing the government into the private sector and introducing the “crowding out affect” to insurance.

too bad we can’t take an honest poll here and find out everyone’s real age…. that would really be illuminating….
how about it Jake, anyway to get an anonymous poll up to get a cross section of Dem/Repubs/Conservs/Indy’s………..maybe even see whose had to deal with the reality of the medical world as opposed to the ‘theory’…..

Ummm, Democrats were wrong then about not wanting to end slavery and they are wrong again about introducing the government into the private sector and introducing the “crowding out affect” to insurance.
Dems then and Dems now are a different breed. We’re a good bit more educated and worldly. We’ve seen and learned things. We see change and can roll with it. If everything around you is changing but you want to pretend things should stay the same you will be left in the dirt. It’s the way things are. Keep the good stuff and change the bad stuff. As far as polls go lets check the education levels of Dems compared to Reps…

I love this. Celebrities who are making millions themselves are complaining about the millions that heath insurance execs are making. Profit is a great evil unless it’s a liberal that makes it. I also love the false premise, if you oppose Obamacare then you support CEO corruption. Maybe the reason people oppose Obamacare is that they don’t want the government “managing” their health.

About this comment – “You know these people are sooo smart, they have to make their money pretending!!!” Point 1- They make money because lots of people like for them to pretend. Point 2 – Rightwing politicians make money (and get GREAT insurance coverage) by pretending they share your values, Point 3 – Insurance company execs make money by pretending they give a rodent’s posterior about you – and all they while are denying claims. Their responsibility is to SHAREHOLDERS, NOT POLICY HOLDERS!

Re: “If everything around you is changing but you want to pretend things should stay the same you will be left in the dirt. It’s the way things are. Keep the good stuff and change the bad stuff. As far as polls go lets check the education levels of Dems compared to Reps…” <Good enough to repeat. The U.S.A. has been progressive over most of its history. Not always right (we changed the bad stuff as we moved along) but always seeking to better ourselves for the good of the nation and the individual. Healthcare NOW!

Excuse me, Will Ferrell doesn’t even know how to “ACT”, how can he pretend to know anything about national affairs?? — He needs to start a special school for the terminally ignorant, then enroll!

moderate Blue Dog Dems
Posted by: Sunnyr
moderate? funny….
like the guy from Arkansas who is so in the pocket of a drug company….. $1.6 million more or less….. a real ‘moderate’ …
the sad thing is that so many americans will believe the satire as truth when they see it..
in a way, it reminds me, (and you’ll forgive me as I can’t remember which particular sect it is of christianity) of the religious folks who won’t take their children to see doctors, instead relying on divine intervention as a cure…
when their kids get sicker or even tragically die, they prefer to admit to some problem they have not demonstrating their true faith..
rather than admit their neglect caused the problem.
many would rather suffer the rising costs and unfair practices of the med insurance industry than really try to help themselves by at least trying something new policy wise….

This is the information I’ve been searching at. I’m glad that I found this. Thanks a lot for posting this blog!

My goal is one day to make enough money so that I also can become an “Hollywood Liberal” and make funnies in regard to a very serious issue for those that are unable to see the humor because of their limited circumstances….From someone who lives in the area of the “Rich and Famous” don’t let the sincerity fool you, this is just another way to get cheap P.R ; as well as, fulfilling boredom and relieving the guilt of having soooo much money while others do not…Do you actually believe they would give up their bank accounts??? If yes, why haven’t they???

I love how conservatives are so opposed to a government-run health care system. It’s become more than obvious that said health care reform would threaten the wallets and pocketbooks of the wealthy health insurance execs and “Certain” political figures. Lets face it, the state of our current health care system is PATHETIC. People die each and every day because they are unable to receive medical treatment because they do not have coverage. So what exactly is wrong with providing EVERYONE with coverage? The U.S. ranks #37 on the international health care list, just inching it out over Slovenia. But oh yes, we live in the best country in the world, right? Riiiight. We live in a country where the wealthy make the rules, and the rest of us need to fend for ourselves. We live in a country where we would rather let people die who do not have coverage than pay alittle extra so that everyone can live a healthy life. But instead, we live in a selfish country where one thing is certain: The Almighty Dollar Reigns Supreme. Pathetic. Sincerely Pathetic. Its a shame that we have some how managed to make people’s lives a business, where depending on someone’s age or insurance carrier dictates whether they will get medical care or die trying to get it. A country is viewed by how it treats its citizens. If that is the case, it’s no wonder the U.S. is views the way it is. I absolutely hate how shallow this country has become. I know a lot of people who live in Canada, and by a lot I mean several hundred. I have NEVER heard any negative feedback regarding their health care system. The reason conservatives and republicans alike are apposed to President Obama’s campaign is primarily because it will greatlf affect their pockets. I’m sorry, but I have no sympathy for that.

Any connection here to recent NEA scandal, or just a convenient coincidence that this is exactly the kind of propaganda they were trying to force artists to do.

80% of Americans support single payer health care system, just look at the EU countries ( 500 million people), they have single payer universal healthcare. Every of their citizen is covered and nobody left out.

I support a NATIONAL REFERENDUM on Universal Healthcare, let the American people decide, are you for private insurance companies or for Universal Healthcare for all US citizen. A simple YES or NO can settle this.

Joy! another hollywierd hypocrite.With his millions,telling everyone how it should be. I think it’s time to nationalize Hollywood! After all they love what this administration is doing I’m sure they would not mind Obama taking their money and giving it to everyone else!
TIME TO NATIONALIZE HOLLYWOOD!

DOwn with rich actors Lets have the PAY CZAR limit actors pay to no more than 1 Million per pic. Hell Ferrell should only get 10 bucks for his last one.

HR3200 would impose a fine on americans that don’t carry healthcare. The Baucus bill in the senate would impose a $3,800 tax on hard working americans who don’t want health care or buy care that doesn’t meet the requirements of the government. This is a Panel. Like the DEATH panels this panel determines if your insurance coverage is acceptable. And Yes I’m not an IDIOT like you. I know that HR3200 doesn’t mention death Panels. For you stupid people thats a Euphemism for a government panel that decides what level of health care is given to what people. What procedures can be given to what people. RATIONED care as in France, Canada and the UK.

Lets have the hollywood Czar control which movies can be seen. ferrells crap will get shelved.

“I know that HR3200 doesn’t mention death Panels. For you stupid people thats a Euphemism for a government panel that decides what level of health care is given to what people.”
So where is the government panel in section 1233 that Sarah Palin euphemized into a death panel?

Health insurance companies make enough profit to be able to bribe radio personalities, journalists, and even members of congress. Every one of those dollars comes from someone being denied coverage, so it is, in effect, blood money.
Right now there is a monopoly on health care. Creating a public option would break up that monopoly, and eventually save millions of lives, not to mention millions of dollars through preventative care. Don’t be an idiot, its not socialism, its patriotism.

concernedcitizen, unless you are so naive as to believe that all these reforms can be done without raising deficits and taxes, then you should know that it won’t just be insurance execs who get the shaft financially…it will be every single hard-working taxpayer. no one with an inkling of intelligence can believe that the plans will even be revenue neutral. it’s economic unreality to think these plans won’t cost generational fortunes.

can some of you who are saying 80% of americans want a single payor system cite something to prove that?

Wait a second, wasn’t it the insurance companies that funded Obama’s ad campaign for the public option? I seem to remember that Obama had to agree not to allow Americans to purchase their drugs from Canada in exchange for those ad dollars.
If the insurance companies weren’t on board with this public option, then why help the government advertise it?
Besides, requiring ALL Americans to purchase insurance is a gift to the insurance companies, isn’t it?