Healthcare Reform Debate – If the ongoing healthcare reform debate has you even somewhat engaged, you have to watch this MSNBC news piece.
UnitedHealth Is The Next Enron – UnitedHealth is definitely a dirty pony (as evidenced by, among other things, the numerous enforcement actions brought against it over the past three years). And Helmsley himself (who earned a disclosed $48 million in 2008) is a shameless, selfish, duplicitous and arrogant human being who epitomizes corporate greed and excess. For him to even suggest that UnitedHealth is entirely “neutral” on the issue of a public health insurer is disingenuous. I know many executives at UnitedHealth personally (two of whom are my neighbors), and I can tell you that UnitedHealth is anything but neutral on the issue. The prospect of a public health insurer is very frightening to UnitedHealth, as well it should be.
The Difficult Reality – I am a hardcore free-market advocate, and I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I actually think the public insurer idea is a good one. IMO, there’s a very good chance that it will shake things up a bit, and for the better. At present (and it’s only recently that we’ve been able to admit this to ourselves), we are locked in a fatal convergence of uncontrollably escalating healthcare costs (provider side) and corporate greed (payor side, a la Hemsley and UnitedHealth and other for-profit payors). Providers keep passing along costs, and private sector payors keep passing along costs (in order to remain unconscionably profitable). Well, game over! Enough is enough. It’s time for a change.
More Unflattering News About UnitedHealth and Helmsley:
The Health Insurance Gangsters and Their Enablers
UnitedHealth Derivative Settlement “Largest Ever”
Stephen Helmsley = Former Arthur Andersen Partner
UnitedHealth Group’s Stephen Hemsley – CEO Compensation
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Tags: Corporate Excess, Corporate Greed, Crook, Crooks, Healthcare Insurers, Healthcare Reform, Healthcare Reform Debate, Helmsley, Helmsley Criminal, Helmsley Fraud, Helmsley Thief, Profitability of Healthcare Insurers, Public Health Insurer, Public Health Insurer Option, Stephen Helmsley, Thief, Thieves, United Health CEO, UnitedHealth, UnitedHealth Afraid Of Public Health Insurer Option, UnitedHealth Profitability, UnitedHealth Thief, UnitedHealth Thieves
Read my article on the other real healthcare issue, coverage for all as a starting point.
Best,
Denis
I’ve been watching UnitedHealth’s borderline criminal activity for the last five years. What I have not seen anyone mention is the fact that UnitedHealth is regulated principally by the impotent State Insurance Commissioners. Think about it. We’ve seen the fed (SEC) go after UnitedHealth, we’ve seen state attorneys general go after UnitedHealth, but where have the state insurance regulators been for the last 5 years? UnitedHealth has two unwelcome suprises in store, in my opinion. First, a public health insurer option, and second, the federal regulation of healthcare insurers (SEC-style regulation and enforcement, but with respect to ALL healthcare insurance operations–the stuff the states are supposed to be doing but are not).
I agree with you whole heartedly! You are a genius and I stand behind you 100%.