By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Monday, June 5, 2017, Alabama candidate for US Senate, Dom Gentile announced his plan to give consumers more health insurance choices in states that are currently dominated by one large insurance company, such as Alabama where Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBS) has over 90 percent of the health insurance market.
Gentile said in a statement, “My plan is to introduce legislation that allows consumers in these states the option to buy their insurance from the same plans that Congress and their staffs do, which is currently DC Health Link (www.dchealthlink.com). DC Healthlink has 112 plan options and four large private insurers. Once congress gets its act together and finally repeals and replaces Obamacare, this Legislation would allow consumers in these states to have access to any new insurance options given to the Congressmen, Congresswomen and Senators should the DC Health Link option be changed.”
Gentile continued, “We are operating in a political environment today that clearly places the special interests and PACs at the front of the line, and leaves the citizens dangling far behind,” Gentile added. “As an outsider who never has and never will accept donations from these groups, I have pledged to put the regular people back to their rightful place at the front of the line. This legislation does exactly that. It is appalling that the incumbent politicians in my state, some of whom want to be the next US Senator from the great State of Alabama, have allowed this to happen and have not created simple Legislation such as this to help the people. As a businessman and problem solver, I am taking the action that they should have taken a long time ago.”
There are currently 12 states where a single large insurer has over a 70 percent market share.
Gentile is promising to: support term limits and that he will only serve one full term in office if elected; a flat tax and a dramatic reduction in the size and power of the IRS; reducing health care costs for every citizen by ending the monopolistic behavior of Blue Cross Blue Shield; and removing the red tape created by Washington bureaucrats that costs our businesses money and stunts the growth of our economy.
Gentile says that he will not accept any campaign contributions from special interests.
Dom is originally from Miami, Florida. He attended the University of Alabama where he studied political science. At the University he was elected to the Student Government Association as a senator and played football for the Crimson Tide. He has been married to his wife and fellow University of Alabama alum Karen.
Gentile has held senior positions with Fortune 500 companies Duracell, Gillette and Sara Lee. Dom has worked and lived from coast to coast, including stints in the south, east and west coast. He grew businesses in the US and around the world, worked in over 25 countries, and lived in Asia. He is an internationalist with a global perspective. Dom is also an adjunct instructor and teaches marketing to college students. Over the last 13 years, Dom has grown his own business from nothing to a multi-million dollar enterprise. Dom says that he knows how to create jobs and make a payroll.
Gentile says that, “Our politicians are broken. It’s not the system that’s broken; it’s the crooked, crony politicians, and he offers the voters a fresh alternative. Taxes are too high and too complicated.” “Government is way too big and regulations are too burdensome for businesses.”
Gentile said that his family’s healthcare insurance premiums have soared from $700 a month in 2005 to $2,200 a month today. Gentile saidm “This is out of control! Do you ever wonder why the people in Montgomery and Washington haven’t fixed the problem? Could it be that the insurance company lobbyists are influencing your politicians?”
Dom says that he is self-funding this campaign, and that means he isn’t under the influence of special interests or Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Gentile is one of ten Republicans running for the Senate seat vacated by Sen. Jeff Sessions when he was confirmed to be US Attorney General. The Republican candidates for the US Senate seat are: James Paul Beretta, Joseph F. Breault, Randy Brinson, Mo Brooks, Dom Gentile, Mary Maxwell, Roy Moore, Bryan Peeples, Trip Pittman, and Luther Strange.
Karen Haiden Jackson was disqualified by the Alabama Republican Party because she had run as an independent in a judicial race last year.
Eight candidates qualified with the Alabama Democratic Party to run in the US Senate Special Primary Election. Qualified candidates are Will Boyd, Vann Caldwell, Jason Fisher, Michael Hansen, Doug Jones, Robert Kennedy, Jr., Brian McGee, and Nana Tchienkou.
The Special Primary will be August 15 and the Special General Election will be December 12.
