Report: Health Insurers Hold Billions in Tobacco Stocks

Democracy Now by Dr. Wesley Boyd,Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez | Jun. 12, 2009 (News Report)

US, Canadian and British health and life insurance firms hold at least $4.4 billion of investments in companies whose subsidiaries manufacture cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and related products.

The New Jersey-based Prudential Financial, for example, is a major investor in three tobacco firms, including Philip Morris and Reynolds American. Other insurance companies named in the report include the Sun Life Financial, Northwestern Mutual, ... Full Story »

Posted by Dwight Rousu

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Subjects: U.S., Politics, Business, Living, Health
Topics: Health Care, Money
Member Tags: tobacco, corporations
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Posted by: Posted by Dwight Rousu - Jun 12, 2009 - 2:46 PM PDT
Reviewed by: Dwight Rousu (review), Glenn LaBauve (review), Norman Rogers (review), Tanya J. Maurer (review)
Content Type: Article
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Dwight Rousu - Jun 12, 2009 - 2:46 PM PDT
Related Comments: Health Care (8)

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Dwight Rousu
4.4
 by Dwight Rousu - Jun. 12, 2009

At a time when the big insurance corporations are fighting health care bill improvements, the ethics of those corporations is revealed by this story. Greed seems to trump any concern for public health.

If we can control harmful tobacco now, can we control harmful corporations?

the insurance industry is primarily concerned about making money, not about insuring people’s health and well-being. More »

Dwight posted this story.
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Tanya J. Maurer
3.9
 by Tanya J. Maurer - Jun. 17, 2009
See Full Review » (11 answers)
Glenn LaBauve
4.1
 by Glenn LaBauve - Jun. 12, 2009
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Norman Rogers
1.9
 by Norman Rogers - Jun. 13, 2009

Silly stuff. The real beneficial owners of tobacco companies are governments that receive the lion's share of the tobacco profits.

Many state governments have sold tobacco revenue bonds giving them a moral obligation to keep the tobacco money rolling. Government is the one promoting tobacco.

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  • Tobacco good investment for health insurers | Business Breaking News

    Melbourne Herald Sun | Jun. 5, 2009 (News Report)
    Major US, Canadian and British life and health insurance companies have billions of dollars invested in tobacco companies, a study published in the New England Journal of ...
    Posted by Glenn LaBauve
    3.8
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