NCBCBS asks not to be blamed for misdirecting premium dollars

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (NCBCBS) is starting a new marketing campaign to spark a discussion on reining in health care costs. The News & Observer reports

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is tired of playing the scapegoat.

The state's largest health insurer will announce this morning that it's beginning a major marketing campaign to emphasize that many parties share the blame for rising health costs. The message is that those groups, including insurers, doctors, hospitals, drug companies, lawyers and consumers, must work together to reduce medical costs.

The effort will include TV commercials and other advertising with goats portraying the various groups. The Chapel Hill company also is starting a website, www.letstalkcost.com to spur more discussion about how to control medical costs.

At the risk of scapegoating the state's largest insurance oligopoly, let me suggest that NCBCBS first consider the cost implications of misdirecting its hostages' customers' premium dollars toward self-serving marketing and lobbying campaigns.