Vermont for Single Payer

07/17/2025

UnitedHealth and Its 2,600+ Subsidiaries
https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/unitedhealth-is-composed-of-nearly-2700-subsidiaries-10-notes/?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=5766C9953223F2J
6. UnitedHealth now employs or has contractual ties with more than 90,000 physicians, or about 10% of the U.S. physician workforce. Its provider subsidiaries span many industries and specialties, and include at least 880 homecare companies, 423 ASCs, and 335 administrative entities.
7. UnitedHealthcare is the world’s largest insurance company, with more than 50 million members across commercial, ACA, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. The company controls 15% of the U.S. health insurance market.
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8. In the pharmacy space, UnitedHealth owns 36 infusion-focused subsidiaries, 24 PBMs, and 9 technology entities. In total, it controls 21% of the U.S. PBM market.
9. The company also owns many non-healthcare entities, including in consulting, media, real estate and venture capital. Those include 21 real estate subsidiaries, 11 venture capital subsidiaries, and 7 government-focused entities.

A new, first-of-its-kind report details the corporate structure and acquisition history of the world’s largest healthcare company, UnitedHealth Group. The “Sunlight Report” was published on July 16 by the Center for Health & Democracy and funded by Arnold Ventures. AV has awarded more than $35...

07/17/2025

Healthcare Problems in China, Too
https://www.firstpost.com/world/millions-ditching-health-insurance-scheme-in-china-amid-economic-woes-eroding-confidence-ws-e-13907257.html
“More people in China opted out of the voluntary health insurance scheme for urban and rural residents in 2024, adding strain to an already stressed system amid economic woes and eroding public confidence, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
“The decline in participation, particularly in the programme meant for farmers and the unemployed, continued last year, with 15.8 million fewer people enrolled compared to 2023, the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) reported on Monday (July 14).”

The decline in participation, particularly in the programme meant for farmers and the unemployed, continued last year, with 15.8 million fewer people enrolled compared to 2023

07/17/2025

07/16/2025

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/house-gop-eyes-deeper-medicaid-medicare-cuts-in-next-budget-bill-bloomberg/?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=5766C9953223F2J
“House Republicans have already begun work on a follow-up budget bill that seeks deeper cuts to Medicaid and new spending reductions in Medicare, Bloomberg reported July 14.
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“House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, told Bloomberg he sees the legislation — coming this fall — as an opportunity to secure Medicare spending cuts he unsuccessfully sought in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4.
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House Republicans have already begun work on a follow-up budget bill that seeks deeper cuts to Medicaid and new spending reductions in Medicare, Bloomberg reported July 14.  Five things to know:  1. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, told Bloomberg he sees the legislation .....

07/15/2025

https://healthcareuncovered.substack.com/p/the-fundamental-problem-at-the-heart
“In all the other advanced democracies, basic health insurance is not for profit; the insurers are essentially charities. They exist not to pay large sums to executives and investors, but rather to keep the population healthy by assuring that everyone can get medical care when it’s needed.
“America’s health insurance giants are profit-making businesses. Indeed, in the insurers’ quarterly earnings reports to investors, the standard industry term for any sums spent paying people’s medical bills is “medical loss.” They view paying your doctor bill as a loss that subtracts from the dividends they owe their stockholders.
“When I studied health care systems around the world, I asked economists and doctors and health ministers why they want health insurance to be a nonprofit endeavor. Everyone gave essentially the same answer: There’s a fundamental contradiction between insuring a nation’s health and making a profit on health insurance.”

Administrative waste, denials, and deadly incentives — the U.S. model shows what happens when profit rules.

07/14/2025

“Every Aspect of Our Current Health Care System is Failing”
https://vtdigger.org/2022/02/13/lee-russ-put-the-health-care-jigsaw-puzzle-together-and-do-something/
“Vermont is short on doctors and nurses, and it’s going to get worse. Many hospitals are bleeding badly. Many patients wait absurdly long times to see a doctor, especially specialists. Over a third of Vermonters have health insurance they are reluctant to use because they can’t afford to pay the deductibles and co-pays.
“Premiums on commercial health insurance are high and rising. If you’re insured through your job, your share of the premium is rising, and so are the deductibles and co-pays. If you work but don’t get insurance through your job or an employed family member, you probably are on Medicaid.
“Town and school budgets are inflated by the ever-rising health insurance costs for the people who work there. Property and school taxes rise accordingly. Your income taxes reflect the need to fund the increasing Medicaid rolls.
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“Every aspect of our current health care system is failing. It’s obvious to me that this failure is the result of the corruption of health care’s fundamental purpose of ensuring that people who need medical care can get that care. Our current system’s purpose seems to be largely the protection and perpetuation of the system for the benefit of those who profit from it.
“This is an emergency. If we do not have the courage to address it, we will all pay the price. Timidly poking at the edges of the flaming fire will never extinguish it. The most effective solution is a publicly funded single-payer plan.”

Every aspect of our current health care system is failing. It’s obvious this failure is the result of the corruption of health care’s fundamental purpose: ensuring that people who need medical care can get that care.

07/13/2025

https://www.taylorpress.net/article/10270,it-s-time-for-real-health-care-reforms
“…a primary reason patients pay more for their medications: middlemen in the health care system, including pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.”

Taylor Press - Serving Taylor and Williamson County since 1914

07/12/2025

The company has invoked the murder of an executive last year to complain about coverage in news outlets, on streaming services and on social media.