By Monica Chen

mchen@heraldsun.com; 419-6636

DURHAM -- A group of protesters outside Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina's headquarters Thursday got the health insurer's attention.

Some 25 people stood on a corner of U.S. 15-501 and unfurled banners against the company, saying, "Health care can't wait," "You want real choice? Support the public option," and "Blue Cross Blue Shield Stop Draining North Carolinians."

Cars and trucks whizzed by with drivers honking in support of the protesters, and the hoots and shouts could be heard at Blue Cross' front doors some ways away.

"We want change. We want a robust public option," said Lynice Williams, executive director of N.C. Fair Share and organizer of the event. "It's time for North Carolina families to know the real facts about health care."

The protest also involved members from other organizations, who together made up the N.C. Health Care for America Now Coalition.

A Blue Cross official countered later in an interview that while the company is not in support of a public option, it is in support of universal health care.

"We are not in support of government-run health insurance," said Barbara Morales Burke, vice president of health policy. "We do believe the government should help those people who can't afford health insurance."

Burke said the reasons behind Blue Cross' position is that a public option would pay health providers at lower than market rates.

"Over time, people will migrate to the government policy," she said.

As for universal coverage, Burke said the government should require everyone to have health care, and address cost issues by expanding Medicaid and providing premium subsidies.

The necessity of having a public option has been debated passionately by pro- and anti-reform camps this week as a result of President Barack Obama saying that the option was potentially up for compromise.

The protesters in front of Blue Cross on Thursday pointed to the influence of insurance companies on the debate.

Bob Hall, executive director of the Durham-based group Democracy North Carolina, said that between April and June, health insurers nationwide spent $2 million daily on lobbying.

"The money has distorted the debate," he said. "There's a lot of heat, but I don't know if there's a lot of understanding."

To Rhonda Robinson, a single mother who's studying business administration at N.C. Central University, the public option is necessary and would offer competition to insurance companies.

Robinson has epilepsy and said that when she contacted Blue Cross, she was quoted a premium of $1,400 a month through COBRA.

"[The public option] gives citizens like me the option to choose a provider, to look at me as a human being and not just a pre-existing condition," she said.

"I'm not asking for a handout," she added. "I'm just asking for help."

Blue Cross spokesman Lew Borman said the company has spoken with the protesters before.

"This is an issue that generates a great deal of passion," he said.