bachmannklineThe Washington Post reported on Thursday that the Lewin Group, a health care research consulting firm, is owned by Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group. Research by Lewin has been a staple talking point of Minnesota’s Republicans — who tout the group as “independent” and “non-partisan” — in their opposition to a health reform package currently being debated in Washington.

The Lewin Group is owned by Ingenix, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, which posted hefty profits for the first half of this year, thanks in part to a federal subsidy called Medicare Advantage. Despite the profit from public programs, UnitedHealth has been actively working against a public option as part of Congress’ health reform package.

Lewin Group’s close ties to one of the world’s largest health insurers has been lost on the media and many members of Congress. Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty have called the group “non-partisan” and “independent” in arguments against the creation of a public health insurance option for the uninsured and underinsured (Bachmann and Kline were also the recipients of $2,000 each in campaign contributions from UnitedHealth).

On his blog, Kline wrote, “114 million — Number of individuals who could lose their current coverage under the bill, according to non-partisan actuaries at the Lewin Group.” And in a column at the conservative website Townhall, he reiterated the figure: “A June study by the independent Lewin Group found that 114 million Americans would be forced out of their current private health coverage under the House Democratic plan.”

Bachmann at her blog at Townhall wrote, “Furthermore, an independent analysis by the non-partisan Lewin Group found that 114 million Americans would lose their current health insurance.”

Pawlenty, in a report (PDF) with Rep. John Boehner, said, “A June 2009 study by the Lewin Group, an independent research organization, projects that the government-run insurance plan proposed by House Democrats will force two out of every three Americans to lose their current health coverage.”

Despite all the rhetoric about workers being “forced” into government plans, Kline, Bachmann and Pawlenty conveniently leave out the Lewin Group’s other finding: a public option would be 30 to 40 percent cheaper than private options.