CEO Urges Employees To Send Emails Against Health-Care Reform

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By Zachary Roth

It's happened in earlier Washington battles where powerful business interests have been threatened: corporate executives pressuring their employees into taking action on behalf of the firm's perceived political interests.

And now it's happening on health-care reform.

Employees of Express Scripts, a St. Louis-based pharmacy benefit manager that's ranked 115 in Fortune's rankings of America's largest corporations, on Monday received an email from the firm's CEO, George Paz. Titled "Take Action: Your Voice Matters on Healthcare Reform," the email, obtained by TPMmuckraker, denounces the "rush to pass legislation that could fundamentally alter our current system without a full understanding of the costs and consequences of those changes."

It then directs employees to a company web page which allows them to send an email to members of Congress, under the heading "Concerns With Health Care Reform." That form email to lawmakers appears to come from an ordinary citizen, giving no indication that the sender works for a company that would be directly affected by reform.

It's not hard to see why Express Scripts would oppose the reforms currently under consideration in Congress. Much of its business involves negotiating and managing drug benefits on behalf of large employers, especially government agencies. Anything that could weaken the current employer-based system of coverage -- as some believe a public option could -- threatens its business model. Hence the following line in the company's form email to lawmakers: "[R]eforms should build on the successes of the current employer-based system."

TPMmuckraker obtained the email from an Express Scripts employee who said he saw it as an effort by Paz to "convince, intimidate, and cajole as many employees as possible to become enlisted in sending correspondence to congressional offices."

Here's the full text of the email that Express Scripts employees received:

FROM: George Paz, Chairman & CEO DATE: Aug. 3, 2009

SUBJECT: Take Action: Your Voice Matters on Healthcare Reform

Congress is considering a significant overhaul to the country's healthcare system. There seems to be a rush to pass legislation that could fundamentally alter our current system without a full understanding of the costs and consequences of those changes.

We believe there are significant issues to be addressed with our current healthcare system, but we also believe:

* Reforms should build on the successes of the current employer-based system.

* Policies should actually lower healthcare costs.

* And, in this economic environment, we should be particularly concerned about additional costs, public or private.

Healthcare is a vital issue that affects everyone. With so much at stake, our elected officials need to hear from you. We've set up a website to make it easy for you to send a letter electronically to your senators and representative asking them to get healthcare reform right.

Thank you for taking the time to do this. Your voice matters to your elected officials.

In 2004, the state of New York sued Express Scripts for fraud, accusing it of pocketing $100 million in drug rebates that should have gone to the state. The company ultimately paid a multi-million dollar fine to settle the charges.

A P.R. representative for Express Scripts pledged to respond to a request for comment about the email from TPMmuckraker, but did not immediately do so. We'll update if we get a response.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/...orm.php?ref=fpb

[SMOKE 1,426]

that thug! how dare he tell people to voice their opinion before its too late.

[mawilson 2,133]

It's not hard to see why Express Scripts would oppose the reforms currently under consideration in Congress. Much of its business involves negotiating and managing drug benefits on behalf of large employers, especially government agencies. Anything that could weaken the current employer-based system of coverage -- as some believe a public option could -- threatens its business model.

Which incidentally also threatens the jobs of its employees. How dare he tell his employees to fight for their jobs!

[SMOKE 1,426]

thugs i tell ya thugs!

[Ban Hammer 13,366]

that thug! how dare he tell people to voice their opinion before its too late.

down with the freedom of speech for the right!

[mawilson 2,133]

Healthcare is a vital issue that affects everyone. With so much at stake, our elected officials need to hear from you. We've set up a website to make it easy for you to send a letter electronically to your senators and representative asking them to get healthcare reform right.

How dare they ask that Congress get healthcare reform right? They must do it NOW and WRONG!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't see anything in there that "pressures" employees to act on it.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't see what's wrong with this to be honest. CEO's make whatever decisions are in the best interest of their company. Voters make decisions on what is best for themselves. Some voters are fairly well informed and some not so much. It's incidentally why I don't much care for referendum politics.

[mawilson 2,133]

I don't see anything in there that "pressures" employees to act on it.

Neither do I. Or anything that urges them to send emails "against" health-care reform, for that matter.

[The Dude 206]

If that is the whole story, then I dont' find anything wrong with it. If the CEO is pressuring employees to do it then there is something to complain about. I think it's a bit deceiving using a form letter that people just sign their names to, giving the impression that they are citizens not motivated by employment is a bit sleezy, but nothing overtly wrong with it.