Wendell Potter

Wendell Potter was formerly Vice President of Corporate Communications for the CIGNA corporation. He left CIGNA in early 2008 and in May, 2009, became Senior Fellow on Health Care with the Center for Media and Democracy. On June 24, 2009 he testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in Washington, DC.

Wendell Potter on the Anti-SiCKO Smear Campaign on Countdown with Keith Olbermann -- 11/17/10

Wendell Potter Interviewed by Bill Moyers

Wendell Potter Interviewed by David Pakman

In December 2016, former journalist Potter announced the formation of Tarbell, a site to raise awareness of the corrupting influence of money in politics - "reader-funded democracy" - starting with a modest site, with plans for a more serious presence by summer of 2017. In June 2018, the site showed a staff of five (including Potter) and a 9-member board of directors, as well as an advisory board from across the nation.

SourceWatch resources

• August 10, 2010 letter from Wendell Potter (CMD) and Consumer Watchdog to Kathleen Sebelius about insurance companies positioning themselves to maintain or increase profits under the new health reform law (PDF)
• Press release about the above letter to Kathleen Sebelius, Department of Health and Human Services (PDF)

• America's Health Insurance Plans
• CIGNA
• Coalition for Health Insurance Choices
• Conservatives for Patients Rights
• Health Insurance Industry Bad Practices
• Jonathan Gruber
• Health Care for America Now
• Patients United Now
• Philip Morris's role in defeating Clinton's health care proposal
• Physicians for a National Health Program
• Progressive Democrats of America
• Single Payer Action
• Universal health care

External resources

Official bio

• Senior Fellow on Health Care, Center for Media and Democracy

Wendell Potter's Blog

• Wendell Potter's Blog

Congressional testimony

• Wendell Potter, "Testimony of Wendell Potter, Philadelphia, PA", Testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, June 24, 2009.

External articles

June, 2009

• Laura Strickler, Cigna Whistleblower to Testify - Former Health Insurance Executive Expected to Testify on Capitol Hill, CBS News online, June 23, 2009.
• Wendell Potter, The Health Care Industry vs. Health Reform, June 24, 2009, PRWatch.org.
• Trudy Lieberman, Excluded Voices - An interview with Wendell Potter, Columbia Journalism Review, June 24, 2009.
• Ezra Klein, The Truth About the Insurance Industry, Washington Post blog, June 24, 2009. [Note: contains a PDF link to Wendell Potter's Senate Testimony]
• Jacob Goldstein, Former Exec: Insurers ‘Confuse Their Customers,’ ‘Dump the Sick’, Wall Street Journal blog, June 24, 2009.
• David S. Hilzenrath, Senate Report Finds Insurers Wrongfully Charged Consumers Billions, Washington Post, June 24, 2009.
• Matthew Perrone, Senator: Use of faulty insurance data 'pervasive', Associated Press, June 24, 2009.
• Diane Levick, Former CIGNA VP Blasts Insurers At Senate Hearing, The Hartford Courant, June 24, 2009.
• Alice Gomstyn, Health Insurance Insider: 'They Dump the Sick' - Retired Health Insurance Executive Blows the Whistle on His Former Industry, ABC News Business Unit,June 24, 2009.
• Rob Kall, Interview with Health Insurance Exec/Whistleblower Wendell Potter, Huffington Post, June 26, 2009.
• Reed Abelson, Insured, but Driven Bankrupt by Health Crises, New York Times, June 30, 2009.

July, 2009

• Rob Kall, Interview with Health Insurance Exec/Whistleblower Wendell Potter, Bottom up Radio Show WNJC, July 1, 2009.
• Jim Acosta and Bonney Kapp, Ex-executive accuses insurance giant of 'purging' customers Ex-executive accuses insurance giant of 'purging' customers, CNN's American Morning July 2, 2009.
• McLaren and Torchinsky, Ex-exec testifies against insurance giant for 'purging' customers, The Consumerist blog, July 3, 2009.
• Andrew Kennis, The Paradox of US Healthcare, Al Jazeera, July 6, 2009.
• Richard Cohen Socialized Medicine? Bring It On, Washington Post, July 14, 2009.
• Nonna Gorilovskaya, Wendell Potter, speaking from experience, exposes health insurers’ misleading, profit-driven tactics, Nieman Watchdog, July 15, 2009.
• Amy Goodman, Health Insurance Whistle-Blower Knows Where the Bodies Are Buried, Democracy Now! blog, July 15, 2009.
• Amy Goodman Democracy Now! Interview with Wendell Potter, July 16, 2009.
• Dr. Jon LaPook, My Interview With President Obama - Dr. Jon LaPook Talks Health Care Reform With The President, CBS News, July 16, 2009.
• May Chen, UnitedHealth seeks a major role in overhauled health care system, Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 20, 2009.
• Dinah Wisenberg Brin, In Health Debate, Ex-Insider Targets Insurance Industry, Wall Street Journal, July 20, 2009.
• Kris Hundley, At what cost care?, St. Petersburg Times, July 21, 2009.
• Paul Harris, Whistleblower tells of America's hidden nightmare for its sick poor, The Observer, July 23, 2009.

August, 2009

• Stanley Crouch, Whistleblower is Dems' best ammo in health care fight, New York Daily News, August 3, 2009.
• Congress must create health care reform from several bills, Times Herald Record, August 3, 2009.
• Joshua Kendall, Small Biz Purging: When Companies Lose Health Care When a worker at a small business becomes gravely ill, insurance providers often later dump the company, a practice reforms may not address, Business Week, August 7, 2009.
• Scott Hensley, Health Insurance Insider Turns On Industry, NPR Health Blog, August 11, 2009.
• Sara K. Smith, Manufactured Meltdowns at a Town Hall Near You. Opposition message follows a familiar pattern, says former health insurance exec, NBC New York, August 13, 2009.
• Mike Booth, Health care reform advocates say insurance companies already ration coverage, Denver Post, August 14, 2009.
• Ron Claiborne, Ex-Cigna Executive Tells Why He Left Insurance Industry to Champion Uninsured. Former PR Chief Says Insurance Companies Up to 'Same Old Tactics', ABC Good Morning America, August 16, 2009.
• Anne Underwood, For Many Consumers, Few Insurance Choices, New York Times, August 19, 2009.
• “Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , August 19, 2009.
• Jim Lehrer, Former Insurance Exec Speaks Out on Health Reform, Jim Lehrer Online Newshour, August 20, 2009.
• Former Insurance Exec Speaks Out on Health Reform, PBS News Hour, August 21, 2009.
• Michael Boothand Jennifer Brown, Health care reform advocates say insurance companies already ration coverage, Denver Post, August 22, 2009.
• Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger, Healthcare insurers get upper handObama's overhaul fight is being won by the industry, experts say. The end result may be a financial 'bonanza.', Los Angeles Times, August 24, 2009.
• Jaimy Lee, Q&A: Wendell Potter, former insurance industry PR executive, PRWeek, August 25, 2009.
• Nicolas D. Kristof, Health Care Fit for Animals, New York Times, August 27, 2009.
• Jennifer Liberto, Is health care the next ‘bonusgate’, CNNMoney.com, August 28, 2009.

September, 2009

• Jennifer Liberto, Is health care the next 'bonusgate'? House energy panel asks 52 companies to cough up info on everyone who makes more than $500,000 a year. Insurers cry foul. Does health CEO pay matter?, CNNMoney.com, September 1, 2009.
• Judith Curtis-Mardon, Blaming is easy. It's solving that's hard, Grand Junction Free Press, September 2, 2009.
• Yamiche Alcindor and Emma Brown, At Vigils, Support Shown for Health-Care Bill, Washington Post, September 2, 2009.
• Dustin Beilke, Career Reversal, Madison Magazine, September 2, 2009.
• Lisa Kaiser, Former Health Insurance Executive Wendell Potter, Shepherd Express, September 2, 2009.
• Keith Girard, Are Health Insurers ‘Purging’ Small Businesses to Boost Profits?, AllBusiness website, September 3, 2009.
• Brad Plebani, Private Profits, Cost Shifting and the Public Option, Nieman Watchdog website, September 4, 2009.
• Senator Jay Rockefeller, Burden of health care is immense, Charleston Gazette, September 6, 2009.
• Kate Pickert, Wendell Potter: The Making of a Health-Care Whistle-Blower, TIME magazine, September 7, 2009.
• Peter Landers, Former Cigna Executive Gets Shout-Out From Obama, Wall Street Journal blog, September 9, 2009.
• Wendell Potter and Health Insurance Industry Misinformation, Huffington Post, September 9, 2009.
• Aaron Glantz, Why Insurance Companies Deny Health Care, New America Media, Septembert 10, 2009.
• Matt Rothschild, An Interview with Wendell Potter, Progressive magazine, September 14, 2009.
• Jill Lawrence, Wendell Potter's Long 15 Minutes as the Bane of the Health Insurance Industry, Politics Daily, September 16, 2009.
• John Commins, Health Leaders Voice Their Opinions About House Health Reform Bill, Health Leaders Media, September 16, 2009.
• Al Lewis, Epiphany about insurers, Dow Jones Newswires, September 16, 2009.
• Murray Waas, "Insurance Company Must Pay $10 Million For Revoking Policy of Teen with HIV," Huffington Post, Sept. 17, 2009.
• Harris Meyer, For many, health policy jargon is clear as mud, Los Angeles Times, September 19, 2009.
• Faye Flam, An ex-insider speaks out Former Cigna spokesman says reform opponents use PR tricks, Philadelphia Inquirer, September 20, 2009.
• Bruce Japsen, Former Health Insurance Insider Turns Critic, Chicago Tribune, September 22, 2009.
• Tim Dickinson, The Lie Machine: GOP operatives are running a secret campaign to kill health care reform, and it's based on Karl Rove's old playbook, Rolling Stone, September 23, 2009.
• Jessica Vansack, Deval Patrick’s likely Senate raises ‘serious concerns', Boston Herald, September 24, 2009.
• Heidi Przybyla, Stacie Ritter Cries ’Shame’ at Insurers Winning in Washington, Bloomberg.com, September 30, 2009.

October, 2009

• Erik Gunn, WisBusiness.com "Media Watch: Madison-based media watchdog group scores via health care debate", WisBusiness.com, October 9, 2009.
• "Patients Before Profits", Bangor Daily News, October 10, 2009.
• Jane M. Von Bergen, "Foot soldiers square off in health-care battle", Philly.com, October 11, 2009.
• Carrie Brown, " Insurers face blowback after report ", Politico , October 12, 2009.
• Lauren Kornreich, "MoveOn.org targets Senate Finance Committee on public option", CNN Politics.com, October 13, 2009.
• John Nichols, "Baucus Committee OKs a Health Bill, But Not Reform", The Nation, October 13, 2009.
• Roger Bybee, Will Health Industry Rattlesnakes Wake up Dems on Reform?, In These Times, October 13, 2009.
• Alexander Bolton, "Finance committee vote opens healthcare lobbying floodgates", The Hill, October 14, 2009.

November, 2009

• Robert Houk, " Free market is ineffective in health care sector ", Johnson City Press , November 29, 2009.

November, 2010

• Wendell Potter, Why I Will Stay Far Away From Cliffs From Now on, Huffington Post, November 9, 2010

• Chen May Yee, A former Cigna spokesman changed sides and became a critic of the insurance industry., Star Tribune, November 27, 2010

2012

• Russell Mokhiber, Wendell Potter, Single Payer and the Big Lie, Single Payer Action, July 16, 2012.

Select Broadcast Interviews

June, 2009

• “What’s Happening ", Left Jab Radio, June 29, 2009.

July, 2009

• “Ex-executive accuses insurance giant of ‘purging’ customers ", CNN , July 3, 2009.
• “Stand Up With Pete Dominick ", Sirius XM , July 16, 2009.
• “Health Insurance Whistleblower ", Op Ed News, July 7, 2009.
• “Breakthru Radio", July 23, 2009.
• “As It Happens", CBS, July 27, 2009.
• “Insider says health insurers put profit over care ", KQED , July 28, 2009.
• “Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , July 28, 2009.
• “The Ed Show ", MSNBC , July 29, 2009.
• “Fear & Greed & Health Care", KIRO , July 29, 2009.
• “Culture Shock Radio Show", Wendell Potter”, July 30, 2009.

August, 2009

• “Bob Edwards Radio Show ", Sirius XM, August 1, 2009.
• “Beneath The Surface with Suzi Weissman ", KPFK Pacifica Radio , August 3, 2009.
• “Nicole Sandler Show ", Air America , August 5, 2009.
• “Think Out Loud ", Oregon Public Broadcasting , August 6, 2009.
• “The Battle Over Health Insurance Reform", WMNF , August 6, 2009.
• “All Things Considered ", NPR , August 7, 2009.
• “The Rachel Maddow Show ", MSNBC , August 10, 2009.
• “Mornings with Carl and Christine", KPOJ , August 11, 2009.
• CSPAN - U.S. Cable, Capital News Today. August 11, 2009.
• Aljazeera English, AJE August 11, 2009.
• WTOP2-DC (Radio), WTOP2. August 12, 2009.'
• MSNBC - U.S. Cable, MSNBC News Live. August 12, 2009.
• U.S. Cable - CNN, The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer Series. August 12, 2009.
• New England Cable News, Boston, MA - NECN Broadside, The News with Jim Braude. August 12, 2009.
• Bloomberg Radio - U.S. Cable, WBBR. August 13, 2009.
• WTTG-DC (FOX) - Washington, D.C., Fox Morning News at 6 August 13, 2009.
• CNN - U.S. Cable, American Morning Talk Show. August 13, 2009.
• WCBS-NY (Radio) - New York, NY, WCBS. August 13, 2009.
• Need 2 know radio show ", WOIC , August 13, 2009.
• “Insurance insider tells all ", CNN , August 14, 2009.
• CNN - U.S. Cable, Anderson Cooper 360 Talk Show. August 14, 2009.
• CNN Europe - U.K. National, CNNEU. August 15, 2009.
• CNN - U.S. Cable, House Call With Dr. Sanjay Gupta Health. August 15, 2009.
• CSPAN - U.S. Cable, Washington Journal, Public Affair. August 15, 2009.
• CSPAN - U.S. Cable, Weekend News. August 15, 2009.
• KITV-HON (ABC) - Honolulu, HI, Good Morning America Talk Show. August 16, 2009.
• “How insurance firms drive debate ", CNN , August 17, 2009.
• “Whistle-blower: Health care industry engaging in PR tactics ", CNN , August 18, 2009.
• “The Diane Rehm Show ", WAMU , August 19, 2009.
• “This is America with Jon Elliott ", San Diego’s 1700 AM , August 20, 2009.
• Ed Show ", MSNBC , August 24, 2009.
• “Health co-ops may face difficulty in upstart ", Wisconsin Radio Network, August 25, 2009.

September, 2009

• “The Public Option ", KNPR , September 2, 2009.
• Health insurer enlisting its employees to kill reform, Free Speech Radio News, September 4, 2009.
• WKOW (ABC) - Madison, WI, Whistle blower weighs in on health care reform, September 13, 2009.
• Murray Waas, "Insurance Company Must Pay $10 Million For Revoking Policy of Teen with HIV," Huffington Post, Sept. 17, 2009.
• “Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , September 17, 2009.
• “The Chuck Morse Show ", WDIS , September 17, 2009.
• “Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , September 17, 2009.
• “The Ed Show ", MSNBC , September 17, 2009.
• “The Report ", BBC , September 18, 2009.
• “Real Time with Bill Maher ", HBO , September 18, 2009.
• “Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , September 18, 2009.
• “The Rachel Maddow Show ", MSNBC , September 21, 2009.
• “Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , September 22, 2009.
• Amy Goodman, Insurance Industry Whistleblower Wendell Potter Blasts Senate Panel Rejection of Public Insurance Option, Democracy Now, September 30, 2009.
• Murray Waas"Insurance Company Must Pay $10 Million For Revoking Policy of Teen with HIV," Huffington Post, Sept. 17, 2009.

October, 2009

• “The Ed Show ", MSNBC , October 6th, 2009.
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , October 6, 2009.
• “Joel Heitkamp Show ", KFGO , October 7, 2009.
• “The Seed Show ", WOIC , October 8, 2009.
• " The Ed Show ", MSNBC , October 12, 2009.
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , October 12, 2009.
• " Washington Journal ", CNN , October 13, 2009.
• " The Rachel Maddow Show ", MSNBC , October 14, 2009.
• " Washington Journal ", C-SPAN , October 14, 2009.
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , October 14, 2009.
• " The Rachel Maddow Show ", MSNBC , October 14, 2009.
• Lucy Ash, US Healthcare Whistleblower, BBC Television, October 15, 2009.
• " Healthcare Whistleblower ", FOX News , October 17, 2009.
• “Health Reform Update ", KNPR , October 26, 2009.

November, 2009

• " Health Care Premiums Also Used for Lavish Salaries, Luxury Items, Underwriters ", ABC Network News , November 3, 2009.
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , November 19, 2009.
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , November 20, 2009.

December, 2009

• " The Ed Show ", MSNBC , December 9, 2009
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , December 11, 2009
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , December 16, 2009
• " The Nicole Sandler Show ", Air America , December 17, 2009
• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , December 22, 2009
• “An Insiders View of Health Care Reform ", KIRO , December 29, 2009.
• " The Ed Show ", MSNBC , December 30th, 2009.

March, 2010

• Murray Waas, "Insurer Targeted HIV Patients to Cancel Coverage," Reuters, March 17, 2010
• Paul Krugman, "Demons and Demonization," the New York Times, March 17, 2010.
• Ryan Chuttum, "Reuters is Excellent in Digging Up Insurer's Tactics," Columbia Journalism Review, March 17, 2010.

April, 2010

• " Bill Moyers Journal", PBS , April 13, 2010
• Murray Waas, "WellPoint Routinely Targets Breast Cancer Patients," Reuters via Common Dreams, April 24, 2010.

July, 2010

• " American Medical Association Condemns Insurance 'Purging'", ABC News, April 13, 2010

August, 2010

• Mark Ruquet, Potter to NAIC: Be a Hero to Consumers , National Underwriter, August 16, 2010

September, 2010

• Wendell Potter on MSNBC's The Ed Show, September 22, 2010, discussing health insurer' refusal to write health insurance policies for children.

November, 2010

• Wendell Potter on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!", Wendell Potter on "Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans", November 16, 2010

• Wendell Potter on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!", "Push Michael Moore Off a Cliff": Health Insurance Whistleblower Wendell Potter Details How the Industry Attacked Michael Moore’s Film Sicko, November 17, 2010

• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , November 17, 2010

• Wendell Potter on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!", Interview With Health Insurance Whistleblower Wendell Potter on Industry’s Attack on Michael Moore’s "Sicko", November 18, 2010

• " Countdown with Keith Olbermann ", MSNBC , November 22, 2010

• Wendell Potter on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!"Democracy Now!, The Fear of Sicko: CIGNA Whistleblower Wendell Potter Apologizes to Michael Moore for PR Smear Campaign; Moore Says Industry Was Afraid Film Would Cause A 'Tipping Point' for Healthcare Reform, November 23, 2010