The big news in U.S. health care came early Monday morning (1 am to be exact) as a 60-Senator majority agreed upon their plan for health care reform. The Senate bill would make health insurance mandatory for almost all citizens of the union, covering nearly 30 million currently uninsured Americans. But, if there is any indication as to whether this most recent bill favors the American individual or the private, for-profit insurance companies all one needs to do is to look towards the ticker. Shares of major U.S. health insurance companies rose Monday, including Aetna, Cigna, Humana, United Health and Wellpoint – all hitting 52-week highs. According to Businessweek, “Investors have been worried for months that a public option would provide unfair competition to private insurers in part because it would receive government financial backing and could set reimbursement at artificially low levels.” But, worry no more since the lobbying efforts of these companies continue to pay off as lawmakers continue to pass bills that put our money into the pockets of insurers rather than spending the majority of it on caring for our health. [via Businessweek]
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Tags: Aetna, Businessweek, Cigna, Health Care, healthcare, Humana, insurance, reform, senate, United Health, Wellpoint
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:35 am
It has been the goal all along to lobby this congress for healthcare insurance reform and inclusion of pharmaceuticles into the Medicare and Mediaid drug programs. Under the current proposed legislation insurance and pharmaceuticle companies are the only winners, the American taxpayers are the losers. If one just considers the amount of money at stake and the insurance and pharmaceuticle companies to take advantage of taxpayer revenue, is it any wonder that both spent billions lobbying congress (Liberals) to get the bill drafted to their advantage.
Although the Bill is unconstitutional on its face, it matters not to congress. Congress is bound and determined to satisfy their bankers for their own good fortune.
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
they are the ones that choose not to get coverage. but yet you force me to pay to cover them? WHY????????????????
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
And you might want to check out which insurance companies profited just as during the cash for clunkers fiasco, when only the administration favorites were gifted. There is no price that these people will not pay to socialize our health care, one step at a time.
December 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I agree with your sentiments on this.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:59 pm
HEALTHCARE BILL 2009— THOUGH I AM NOT FAMILIER WITH ALL OF IT,I AM “73″YEARS OF AGE,AND SINCE 500 BIL.WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM IT,BEING OVER 65-I AM NOT CONSIDERED TO BE WORTH REPAIRING–HAVING THE “MANDATE”OF READING(BY YOUR DOCTOR)THAT YOU ARE “OLD”,AND MIGHT BE IN THE WAY OF YOUR KIDS,SOOO??? —HAVE A CURABLE CANCER,BUT JUST GETTING PAIN-PILS DUE TO “”OLD AGE”,AND+++—NO–NO–NO!!! I DON’T THINK THIS IS CORRECT FOR THIS REASON ALONE. ALSO,PAYING FOR IT WOULD START IMMEDIATELY,BUT THE CARE WOULD DRIBBLE-IN AFTER 5 YEARS—AND IT’S HEAVY COSTS AS STATED BY THE GOVERNMENT FIGURES ITSELF—WELL” GUESS THAT’S ALL “I”CAN THINK OF. —”GOD”BLESS “AMERICA”!!! ROGER,STOCKTON,CA.,USA
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 am
The health bill benefits business not the individual. Has it actually passed? I think it gives those who do not want to work and get their own health insurance permanent beggars. I grew up as an African American whose parents instilled great work ethics. Our government makes it’s citizens victims instead of conquerors. We should never have to support those who do not want to work and this is exactly what is happening with this health bill.
December 24th, 2009 at 4:58 am
The only thing this health bill will do is make insurance co’s richer it does not do anything dfir the american people. If you have lost your job because of corporations wanting to give executives big bonus’s and wall street wanting your money how in god’s name can you afford ins of any kind. when are the American people going to wke up and fight more fore their rights, one thing for sure the people we voted into office are’nt they only line their own pockets.they should cut their salary’s to put more money back into government, and see what it’s like to live on nothing.