NYT Discovers Expensive Healthcare, Ignores Profiteering Healthcare
The New York Times this week broke the earth-shattering news that health insurance premiums are increasing in a dozen states. Naturally, their analysis focuses on the 'complicated' market dynamics, avoiding any mention of the record profits posted by the very insurance companies driving these hikes. While your premiums climb, the CEOs of UnitedHealth Group, Elevance Health, and CVS Health (Aetna)
collectively took home over $70 million in compensation last year alone, according to public filings. Funny how the 'unavoidable' cost increases always seem to flow upwards. Instead of questioning why healthcare is a for-profit casino where 'competition' means insurers raise prices in lockstep, the media frames it as an unfortunate truism. Perhaps if congressional representatives weren't accepting
six-figure lobbying dollars from the health insurance industry – over $171 million in the 2022 election cycle according to OpenSecrets.org – they might find the 'political will' to address the root causes, not just report the symptoms. How much 'sticker shock' does it take before we question the system itself?