Jacki Schechner, formerly of CNN, and now the communications director for the non-profit group "Health Care for America Now" blogs away:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich is heading up a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the impact of private health insurance companies on patients' medical care right now. He and Representative Conyers and Representative Kennedy are slaughtering private health insurance company executives. Conyers is particularly fantastic - and not just because he has cited Health Care for America Now and our reports on market consolidation, big insurance profits, and CEO compensation.

The private insurance executives are doing an excellent job of shrugging their shoulders and feigning ignorance. If you take their word (or lack of word) for it, they apparently know a whole lot of nothing about anything related health insurance reform.

CSPAN's coverage of the hearings, which I'll have to watch tonight.

Update: I'm watching over lunch. It is actually a subcommittee hearing, as Kucinich noted when recognizing full Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-NY), who spoke after Kucinich and ranking Republican member Jim Jordan (R-OH). Elijah Cummings complained about denied claimaints "waiting 'til they die", followed by John Tierney (D-MA) asking about the Medical Cost Ratio rising faster than inflation, before the first witness was questioned. Several members questioned the practice of rescission.

Witnesses:

Richard Collins - United Health Care & other posts in health and life insurance "We are already highly regulated."

Brian Sassi - Wellpoint Inc & Blue Cross CA "Changing how we finance health care without changing how we deliver health care would be incomplete reform at best."

Patricia Farrell - Aetna "Health care costs drive insurance premiums, not the other way around."

James Bloem - Humana (money man) Claimed Humana has the lowest refusal rate, while Medicare was #5.

Thomas Richards - Cigna Supports health care reform (they all support health care reform.)

Colleen Reitan - Healthcare Service Corp formerly CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield MN

Questioning starts at about the one hour mark.

On chat last night, during a serious discussion, someone, CMaukonen, I think, used the term "nouveau riche" and later someone else, Orlando, I think, used, "noblesse oblige." Or maybe it was the other way around. I chat for enjoyment, so I wasn't thinking too hard when I quipped, "nouveau oblige" as a throwaway line. I think amike liked that line, or maybe dickday, but I moved on.

However, the more I think about it, we clearly can't count on any noblesse oblige trickling down to us from the lairds and laidies of Wall Street. They think they'll manage no matter what happens to everyone else.

And beyond that I think we are entering a world of new obligations - for everyone. We did the right thing choosing the lesser of two weevils, but we have to take a more active part in day-to-day government. We also have to take a more active part in day-to-day life.

It is hard to break out of the cocoon of work and entertainment and internet access, but it must be done. As Keith Farnish says, it is time to reconnect.

As Farnish writes for Culture Change:

Community is the antithesis of civilization for civilization thrives on the division of humanity into tiny, atomized, competing parts; but community is the form in which humans have always survived best. The choice is simple now: Civilization or Community; Progress or Humanity; Death or Life.