10 Comments

The seesaw that shareholders benefit when clients get less healthcare is immoral on its face, just as slavery was immoral. When people's very lives and health are the means to another's ends (profits), there can be no argument that for-profit health insurance is a public good. It's wrong. We need national health insurance. There are many examples in the rest of the world for us to follow.

Expand full comment

Say it sister! Anyone who would like to help us fight for single-payer universal healthcare can sign up for email with Physicians for a National Health PNHP.ORG, onepayerstates.org, and berniesanders.com/issues. Keep fighting!

Expand full comment

The USA corporate medical industry (where patients are 'customers') is one big Mafia crime family. Someone should write a novel based on the Godfather, called the God-doctor or something. What we need (overdue!) is Universal Health Care.

Maga nitwits are brainwashed into thinking it's evil socialism, communism, etc. Actually it's cheaper, faster, cleaner, and more effective (better outcomes) than this criminal theft system we have, this medieval baron murder industry that we have. We don't need to reinvent the wheel... just take a look at any one or group of European countries and pick the best aspects. They are all lightyears better than what we have (wealth scare, death assurance).

John T. Cullen JTC Sheep Heil!

johntcullen.substack.com

https://www.johntcullen.com

https://www.galleycity.com

MARA Make America Real Again

Expand full comment

When “the industry” is no longer obscenely profitable for them, they will abandon their bloated corporations and take their billions to another financial market.

They won’t accept reasonable medical loss ratios like the insurance corporations in Europe. They’ll just get out and leave us holding the bag.

Mark my words

Expand full comment

Good. Great reporting!

Expand full comment

America is gravely ill with vulture capitalism. It is causing a type of insanity that the insurance companies cannot and will not approve treatment for . . . as it would cut into their profits. They want us all to believe that they perform some very necessary function, when in reality they are utterly useless, pointless, greedy middlemen, standing between We The People and the care we need. We are dying from their malpractice -- and the only cure is single-payer healthcare-for-all.

Expand full comment

Unfortunately despite the hopeful speculation about increased monitoring of Medicare Advantage insurance practices by the incoming administration, it is far more likely that insurance companies will receive greater carte blanche to increase their unholy behaviors in pursuit of more more more profit. Profit before patients. It's the Republican way.

Expand full comment

Big fan Wendell! Good on you for all of the awareness raising and knowledge sharing! Wonderful impact. One thing I'd like to note is that you compared the shares to S&P500 which is very generic and, in my view, not the best comparison in this case. I'd use the S&P500-35 (Healthcare) which is much more similar in its trend to the health insurance stock drops you present. I believe we're witnessing, perhaps, the sector's swan song, under current restrictions and models. This can be greatly influenced in upcoming years through regulation with the new administration, innovation in these behemoths' business models, etc. As an entrepreneur leading a patient advocacy practice also focused on attaining reimbursement from health insurers, my view is that we're going to see significant changes in this sector in upcoming years.

Expand full comment

what a forest trying to pick a health insur plan on the healthcare exchange, btw. been mulling over it for days - what a headache. the more I try to compare plans, the more confused i become. i know that's the point, says the health insur bigwigs. when you aren't rich, it's a bitch. again this is why we need a healthcare revolution. wendell, i had hoped you'd be further in this revolution by now. what gives?

Expand full comment

i looked at a small retirement fund I play in the market on and noticed I have no insurance stocks in there LOL. I hadn't intended that but when it comes to healthcare they are the dullards if you ask me. I'd rather see health tech companies - those making the products that are going to help us live longer, healthier, etc. than health insur co's thrive. it's time to return to evolving the health care system into one that doesn't involve insuranc cos, shareholders and stocks and one that puts the customer first. Right around the holidays, I rewatched Mike Moore's Sicko and was amazed how it's still so relevant. Docs will still live well, patients won't go bankrupt from medical debt, etc.

Expand full comment