It's basically an exercise in blaming the messenger. We all hate the health insurance industry. We all know they've been ripping us off like mad -- sometimes even lethally -- for decades. We all hate having to deal with them or even think about them in any way at all, and every time we do have to, we are seized with burning hatred for the whole damned racket. And so the people we hate -- and often have good reason to -- are trying to make us hate instead the people who are making us think about them again, even though this time, we're thinking about forcing them to treat us better.
Mostly, the insurers, and Pharma and med suppliers, just don't want us thinking about them, because they know what happens when we do -- things like the ACA happen. So they're trying to harness the hate they created to their own benefit. I have to give them their props -- they've got a lot of goddamned gall, and they know what to do with it.
ETA: Also, +1 to Roxxsmom's list of reasons why we can't have nice things. Remember the last time we managed to realize real, practical, significant, but noticeably socialistic social advancement through public programs? The Great Depression + WW2. Yeah, it may very well have to get that bad before people wake up to how simple it would be to make life better and easier.
