Why does health care in America cost so much? Why is every other industrialized country able to provide health care for half of what we spend?
Here’s part of the answer: David Cordani, CEO of Cigna, “earned” $19 million last year. Larry Merlo, head of CVS Health, raked in $22 million. Michael Neidorff, CEO of Centene, made $26 million.
Axios reports that in 2018, 62 healthcare CEOs made a combined $1.1 billion when calculating the value of stock.
What were these huge salaries based on? The CEOs’ ability to make a profit for their shareholders. How do they make a profit? By denying us health coverage. By taking in more money in premiums than they pay out for our health needs.
How do these CEOs sleep? That’s one question I don’t have the answer to.
Partnership for America’s Healthcare Future is a lobbyist group made up of health insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists. They are busy spreading propaganda to ensure that this corrupt system of “health care” that puts their profits over our health continues. Last week, the American Medical Association quit the coalition.
As long as the profit motive remains part of our healthcare system, we will receive expensive, substandard care.
National Improved Medicare for All will remove profit from the healthcare equation. It will provide lifelong healthcare for every American, just like every other industrialized nation has been able to do for its citizens, for less than what we spend now.
Philip Riffe
Hesperus
