Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR… (urspr publ 2011; utgåvan 2010)

The personal revelation story part of this drags a little too much, diluting the message quite a bit. ( )

This was a fascinating book by a former PR executive for CIGNA who decided that he needed to change careers. Potter ended up testifying in front of Congress during the debates over the health care reform law. In this easy to read book, he describes his personal involvement in many PR activities around discrediting the movie Sicko along with how the insurance industry killed the Clinton health care plan back in the 90s. Lots of tactics are described but not in such crazy detail that you cannot follow. I became interested in this book after Potter's interview with Bill Moyers. This book is a quick and easy read about how companies, not just the health insurance industry, uses PR and some shady tactics to be successful.

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. ( )

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. ( )

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. ( )