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Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans (2011)

by Wendell Potter

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23142123,923 (3.96)7
Ethics. Medical. Nonfiction. "My name is Wendell Potter, and for twenty years I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies. I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick-all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors." -Senate testimony, June 24, 2009 Wendell Potter is the insurance industry's worst nightmare. In June 2009, Wendell Potter made national headlines with his scorching testimony before the Senate panel on health care reform. This former senior vice president of CIGNA explained how health insurers make promises they have no intention of keeping, how they flout regulations designed to protect consumers, and how they skew political debate with multibillion-dollar public relations campaigns designed to spread disinformation. Potter had walked away from a six-figure salary and two decades as an insurance executive because he could no longer abide the routine practices of an industry where the needs of sick and suffering Americans take a backseat to the bottom line. The last straw: when he visited a rural health clinic and saw hundreds of people standing in line in the rain to receive treatment in stalls built for livestock. In Deadly Spin, Potter takes listeners behind the scenes to show how a huge chunk of our absurd health care spending actually bankrolls a propaganda campaign and lobbying effort focused on protecting one thing: profits. Whatever the fate of the current health care legislation, it makes no attempt to change that fundamental problem. Potter shows how relentless PR assaults play an insidious role in our political process anywhere that corporate profits are at stake-from climate change to defense policy. Deadly Spin tells us why-and how-we must fight back.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 43 (next | show all)
I wish I could say that this book was full of lies and exaggerations, because that would make reflections on the Health Care debate much more palatable. Much of what Potter says are things I'd prefer not to acknowledge, and hearing it from an industry insider only makes everything sound worse. It was especially revealing to see how the spin authored by Insurance PR staffs to protect the industry and not the public became sound bites for political activits supposedly acting on the behalf of the public. But too much of makes sense, and too much of it is verifiable to dismiss what he states. The book is something we all should be aware of as the health care debate and the future adjustments continue. Valuable insights and lessons. ( )
  rsutto22 | Jul 15, 2021 |
The personal revelation story part of this drags a little too much, diluting the message quite a bit. ( )
  xMMynsOtcgan5Gd47 | Sep 15, 2015 |
Potter's book is part autobiography and wholly expose from within of how the medical insurance industry corporations have repeatedly derailed efforts at health care reform. He also details the industry's duplicitous campaign, partly successful, to defeat the health care reform legislation which President Obama sought. Potter moves on from there to summarize the "playbook" industries use to defeat reform efforts and outlines exactly how tobacco, BP and big banks have used the playbook to deflect reform. That's a lot of useful, and action-inspiring, information in 250 pages. ( )
1 vote nmele | Apr 6, 2013 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Wendell Potter has one message in this book: Be skeptical. As a former journalist and health insurance industry PR guru, he used his skills to deflect public attention from damaging scandals, sowed misinformation to mislead the public and increase corporate profits, until he became so sick of it that he had to quit. He wrote this exposé on the industry in an effort to educate the public on the tactics used to deceive. The public relations field is highly skilled at manipulation via spin, and the big, profitable industries (natural resources, tobacco and alcohol, health care) use every possible avenue to protect their bottom line, whether it means claiming to have your best interests at heart (they don't), funding "grass-roots" front groups, planting false media stories, flogging paid testimonials from celebrities, or in general, spreading unfounded fear.

This is an eye-opening book that many people need to take note of. In particular, Americans need to educate themselves on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Health insurance companies with ERISA-protected plans cannot be sued by an employee if denied coverage for treatment or procedure. Too many people have discovered this after it was too late. ( )
  leeanne.pedersen | May 28, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
A decent look behind the curtain of the health insurance industry and their less than ethical practices. Also a good resource for anyone trying to understand the role of the industry in shaping healthcare policy in the US. Of course, the pretext of the book (Insurance company insider) makes it susceptible to discounts of being a diatribe by a 'disgruntled former employee'. Overall, worth the read, a good overview of the industry. ( )
  getdowmab | May 3, 2012 |
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The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy. -Alex Carey
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When my old friend and colleague Wendell Potter contacted me in 2008, it was the first time I'd heard from him in years. -Barney DuBois, Forward
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About 45,000 people die in America each year because they have no health insurance. -Introduction
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Ethics. Medical. Nonfiction. "My name is Wendell Potter, and for twenty years I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies. I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick-all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors." -Senate testimony, June 24, 2009 Wendell Potter is the insurance industry's worst nightmare. In June 2009, Wendell Potter made national headlines with his scorching testimony before the Senate panel on health care reform. This former senior vice president of CIGNA explained how health insurers make promises they have no intention of keeping, how they flout regulations designed to protect consumers, and how they skew political debate with multibillion-dollar public relations campaigns designed to spread disinformation. Potter had walked away from a six-figure salary and two decades as an insurance executive because he could no longer abide the routine practices of an industry where the needs of sick and suffering Americans take a backseat to the bottom line. The last straw: when he visited a rural health clinic and saw hundreds of people standing in line in the rain to receive treatment in stalls built for livestock. In Deadly Spin, Potter takes listeners behind the scenes to show how a huge chunk of our absurd health care spending actually bankrolls a propaganda campaign and lobbying effort focused on protecting one thing: profits. Whatever the fate of the current health care legislation, it makes no attempt to change that fundamental problem. Potter shows how relentless PR assaults play an insidious role in our political process anywhere that corporate profits are at stake-from climate change to defense policy. Deadly Spin tells us why-and how-we must fight back.

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In June 2009, Wendell Potter made national headlines with his scorching testimony before the Senate panel on health care reform. This former senior VP of CIG NA explained how health insurers make promises they have no intention of keeping, how they flout regulations designed to protect consumers, and how they skew political debate with multibillion-dollar PR campaigns to mislead the press and public. Potter had walked away from a six-figure salary and two decades as an insurance executive because he could no longer abide the routine practices of an industry where the needs of sick and suffering Americans take a backseat to the bottom line—leading Michael Moore to call him "the Daniel Ellsberg of corporate America."

In Deadly Spin, Potter takes readers behind the scenes to show how a huge chunk of our absurd health care spending actually bankrolls a propaganda campaign and lobbying effort focused on protecting one thing: profits. Potter shows how relentless PR assaults play an insidious role in our political process anywhere that corporate profits are at stake—from climate change to defense policy. Deadly Spin tells us why— and how—we must fight back.
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