18 Comments
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Gary Boehler's avatar

Shows more and more that vertically integrated healthcare is not a healthcare business at all.

Rather, it's a money game and when shareholders (BlackRock, etc.) become unhappy with results......well, we all see the share value plummet. Profiteering disguised as healthcare.

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Doctor Steven Murphy's avatar

Banks without liability. UHC even has one. It’s called Optum bank

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Dr. Fake Smile's avatar

The way they have crafted Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid run by INSCOs like United, is an intentional industry wide private equity power grab. When these corporations have squeezed the system dry, they will get out.

They will leave the industry and leave us holding the bag. As in We the People.

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SilverEarring's avatar

We got notice a few days ago that my husbands UHC Medicare supplement costs (Medigap) for 2026 is going up 17%. For 2025 it increased 6%. How does one do financial planning for retirement with these kinds of outsized increases that are not in line with COL/inflation? I hate UHC. THANKS WENDELL FOR THE WORK YOU DO and explaining everything so well!

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Susananda's avatar

My spouse has to wait 2 years for a medigap/supplement policy due to preexisting condition.

For profit private health insurance takes the Care out of-existing.

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ChiGal's avatar

there should be a limit on the percentage increase allowed in a single year

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Susananda's avatar

when you hear someone lying(false statements i.e. upcoding) take note they are also lying to you

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Now That’s Funny's avatar

Health insurance companies have completely failed at what should have been priority #1 for them - health services cost containment. Can someone explain to me like I’m a 5th grader why the entire healthcare services pricing model isn’t following Maryland’s Health Services Cost Review Commission? If individual states won’t mandate such an approach, the federal government should (although maybe it already sort of does with Medicare). If that happened, we may actually be able to go back to a market based, mostly cash pay system where the only health insurance for people under 65 that is necessary is catastrophic health insurance.

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Boom Boom Mancini's avatar

The Prophets of profit have spoken and now it's time for all to be awakened [WOKE] to their continual Ponzi scheme of grifting and lack of care and compassion towards humanity!

Universal Single Payer Healthcare for all is what is needed.

Vote ALL republiCONS OUT!; up and down ballot Nationwide and take back what is ours from the greedy billionaires and the vile merciless corporate person-hood entities that they hide behind which only belongs to living, breathing human beings and not some ridiculous construct of law that is used to fleece our pockets ad infinitum.

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Michael Green's avatar

There is something so ethically wrong with private companies thriving on the illnesses of people. A system that delays and denies life saving treatments to bolster the bottom line. A system that is bankrupting the Medicare system by falsifying levels of illness by up-coding to add on profits to stockholders, board members and outrageous CEO salary. A system that bonuses and incentivizes its employees to go along with this outrageous theft and exploitation of our elderly. Shame. This must end.

We need universal one payer healthcare insurance and much more emphasis on preventative healthcare.

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Jerry Myers's avatar

Unbelievable, more fucking lies.

Here’s the real DOW data for Nov 11 and last Monday

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 42,594.65 on June 23, 2025, and 44,280.1 on November 11, 2024.

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Erica's avatar

It's beyond outrageous. Thanks for continuing to fight the good fight. I would love to do it with you.

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Russell Johnson's avatar

The solution, deny more tests and procedures ordered by physicians.

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Candace Lynn Talmadge's avatar

I'm having a real problem working up any sympathy whatsoever for United Health Group. Why is it OK for rich corporations to suck up taxpayer dollars, but not needy individuals? We truly have our priorities screwed up in this country. Follow the money, honey.

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Bill McElrath's avatar

Eff these companies and Obama"care".

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Candace Lynn Talmadge's avatar

The ACA was the only reason I, as a freelance writer, was ever able to afford healthcare insurance premiums. The problem with that is I want actual healthcare, not healthcare insurance. And my problem with the western allopathic model is its complete inability to address the chronic conditions most people have with anything other than so-called treatments that have deadly side effects and are not designed to heal, only to make users dependent for life. I solved these problems for myself by living long enough to go on Medicare and ditching allopathic physicians. May you find a solution that works for you.

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Doctor Steven Murphy's avatar

For 100 a month you can get some of the very best primary care in your life. It’s called DPC, has access to generic medicines and also some in office imaging.

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Candace Lynn Talmadge's avatar

I have direct physician care already. My practitioners have eschewed the allopathic medical model.

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