Gregory's Server@Schouten_B @QasimRashid "Their whole -job- is to decide what life saving care is cost effective." Cost effective for whom? UHC et al are now, and have been, denying care across the board to increase their profits and their profits have increased.
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@Schouten_B @QasimRashid I don't agree that margins are the correct way to measure health insurance companies. Many things can impact margins including staffing, compensation, etc. How many people were denied treatments, procedures, medicine, etc. that falls within the range of "common practice" in other industrialized countries?  @gpilz @QasimRashid The Essential Health Benefits -have- to be covered under the ACA. For other treatments it becomes more complicated, and it differs per country. The Netherlands essential benefits (the ones all insurers have to reimburse) for example do not reimburse lymph duct reconstruction after lymphadenectomy. The Germany essential benefits to include it. Who's wrong and who's right? Hard to say. QOL improvements are real. |
@gpilz @QasimRashid UHCs margins are around 6%. That's a little too high, but it's also not crazy (I feel 2-3% is a much more reasonable target, depending a little bit on inflation), it's not going to significantly reduce the available care.
Should it be lower? Yes. But the US health care system issues primarily don't lie with the insurance companies. The rot is primarily in other parts of the system.