CAHI Welcomes Greg Kelly to Fight for Affordable Health Insurance; New Coalition Director Will Lead Fight Against Guaranteed Issue

1/8/2003

From: Tom Gardner of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, 703-836-6200 ext. 386 Web: http://www.cahi.org

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 8 -- Earlier today Dr. Merrill Matthews, director of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance (CAHI), praised the appointment of Greg Kelly to head the Coalition Against Guaranteed Issue (CAGI).

"I'm very pleased that Greg has decided to lead the coalition in the fight against guaranteed issue," stated Matthews. "Greg has a reputation for getting results in all of his endeavors, and I look forward to working with him in the fight for affordable health insurance. I am confident that he has the background, experience and know-how to make CAGI a force to be reckoned with."

A graduate of Stanford University, Kelly is not new to life inside the beltway. Before consulting for the U.S. Ireland Business Summit, where he successfully gained funding and brought CEOs on-board to speak, he worked on the Hill as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Cooksey drafting health care reform legislation and tracking issues.

"I am excited about directing CAGI, and plan to fight guaranteed issue measures that prevent people from obtaining affordable health coverage," stated Kelly. "I look forward to winning battles for those millions of hard-working Americans who need to insure themselves and their families at a reasonable price."

"Greg is a great choice for this key position," stated Jim Frogue, director of the Health and Human Services Task Force for the American Legislative Council (ALEC) and a CAGI member. "The very real destructive path guaranteed issue has cut through health insurance markets across the country is well documented. Greg will be an articulate spokesman on behalf of health care consumers across America."

CAGI is a coalition of more than 30 companies and associations that believe that guaranteed issue legislation, if enacted, will destroy the health care market by leading to a decrease in service and affordability.

CAHI, a founding member of CAGI, is a research and advocacy association of insurance carriers active in the individual, small group, MSA, and senior markets. CAHI's membership includes health insurance companies, small businesses, physicians, actuaries, and insurance brokers. Since 1992, CAHI has been an advocate for market-oriented solutions such as MSAs to the problems in America's health care system.