Pay-To-Play?: Health Insurers Exchanging Fake Facebook Money For Anti-Reform Letters

The Business Insider reports that health insurer trade group "Get Health Reform Right" has been using "virtual currency" on Facebook to get gamers to write anti-reform letters to Congress.

Apparently, the group has been buying off Facebook users with the fake money, which is offered to players to help them advance in a particular game. Players can buy the virtual currency on their own, or win it through game play. Typically, companies like Netflix will also exchange the fake money if users agree to trials of their services or products.

Now, it seems, a new type of benefactor has emerged. "Get Health Reform Right" has been caught offering Facebook users this "virtual currency" if they submit a form telling their Congressional representative "to get health reform right."

The anti-reform group describes itself as "a project of organizations whose shared mission is to ensure consumers continue to have access to employer-sponsored healthcare plans. We are concerned about federal legislation that would create new government bureaucracies that would unravel the workplace healthcare system where more than 160 million people get their coverage." Listed members include:

America's Health Insurance Plans

American Benefits Council

BlueCross BlueShield Association

Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers

Healthcare Leadership Council

Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers

National Association of Health Underwriters

National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors

National Retail Association

The practice represents a new and innovative form of astroturfing, which has been used by the insurance industry before to drum up opposition to health care reform.

Late Update: Now it seems a pro-reform group has taken out its own Facebook game ads, calling out "Get Health Reform Right" for astroturfing. Full story here.