Why Obamacare Won't Hurt Insurance Companies
After Catholic organizations complained that the federal government wanted to force them to include free contraceptive coverage in their health insurance plans, the White House announced a compromise. As the White House described it, “if a woman’s employer is a charity, hospital or other religious organization that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of its health plan, her insurance company – and not the hospital or charity – will be required to reach out and offer her contraceptive care free of charge.”
The Wall Street Journal nailed it in an editorial published Saturday: “There is simply no precedent for the government ordering private companies to offer a product for free.” America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade association for the insurance companies, issued a statement that said, in part, “We are concerned about the precedent this proposed rule would set.”
One wit emailed me the quip: “If Reagan was the Great Communicator, Obama is the Great Confiscator.” How else to describe a president who tells a company it has to give away things for free?
But before shedding any tears for the insurance companies, check their stock prices. One of the most remarkable moments of the administration came on June 24, 2009, when, during a nationally televised ABC News “town hall” meeting on health care from the White House, Mr. Obama told Aetna’s CEO, “Aetna is a well-managed company and I am confident that your shareholders are going to do well.”
If you took that stock tip from President Obama, you would have done pretty well — shares in Aetna, one of the country’s largest publicly traded health insurance companies, are up 89% since then, assuming reinvestment of dividends, far outpacing the 49% return of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index over the same period. Other large, publicly traded health insurance companies have also prospered during since that June 24, 2009 moment when passage of ObamaCare was far from assured. UnitedHealth Group is up an astonishing 120% since then. Humana is up 184%.
Humana Health Care Individual Insurance - News
But before shedding any tears for the insurance companies, check their stock prices. One of the most remarkable moments of the administration came on June 24, 2009, when, during a nationally televised ABC News “town hall” meeting on health care from
Humana Inc. said Monday its fourth-quarter profit surged 86 percent on the strength of higher-than-expected Medicare Advantage enrollment and low use of health care services. But the health insurer's shares dropped more than 5 percent Monday afternoon
"Humana's ongoing operating discipline and attractive Medicare value proposition bode well for a future of favorable senior demographics and the growing need to rein in national health-care spending -- especially in Medicare," said Michael B.
Healthcare technology can help accountable care organizations achieve better care, improved population health, and lower costs, says report from eHealth Initiative. By Neil Versel Properly implemented, interoperable health IT is
Humana Inc. has rolled out a new dental insurance plan for people who do not have access to dental coverage. The plan, called HumanaOne Dental Loyalty Plus Plan, will be marketed to individuals such as retirees, self-employed workers and employees who
Insurance News - Humana Launches Individual Dental Product ...
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