Kaiser Permanente presents “Hell in a Cell:” Steve Ubl vs. Matt Eyles

It’s not everyday you see the heads of two industries that ostensibly hate each other get up on a stage to debate, but that’s what happened at an event hosted by Kaiser Permanente last Friday. Matt Eyles, the CEO of the insurance lobby, AHIP, took the stage with Steve Ubl, the CEO of the drug lobby, PhRMA, to debate drug pricing, and things got ugly (or at least as ugly as things can get at a swanky downtown D.C. event that’s being live streamed for all to see.) 

Ubl was the aggressor: He peppered his remarks with digs at Eyles’ entire industry, calling insurance a “burden” and that “isn’t what it used to be.”

Things got even uglier when the topic of Pelosi’s leaked drug pricing plan came up. 

Ubl panned the plan outright and goaded Eyles to do the same. “I would think that we would agree that a competitive marketplace ... outweighs giving the government sweeping authority to set price.” 

Eyles balked, which again prompted an Ubl attack: “I guess I’m a little bit underwhelmed by the response,” Ubl interjected. 

I’m sure there’s more sparring to come, so stay tuned. 

(P.S.: I really hope someone got that reference in the headline.)