David S. Hilzenrath of The Washington Post writes about the Lewin Group, the consulting firm whose research has been cited repeatedly during health care reform efforts. As Covering Health has reported, the Lewin Group is owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the country’s largest insurance companies – a fact that many reporters have missed when writing about health care reform.
Hilzenrath points out the legislators who have quoted numbers from the Lewin Group and described it as “independent” and “nonpartisan.”
Hilzenrath reports that the group does consulting work for groups with a variety of perspectives. He reports a surprisingly candid quote from the group’s vice president, John Sheils:
“Let’s just say, sometimes studies come out that don’t show exactly what the client wants to see. And in those instances, they have [the] option to bury the study.”
