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Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim health plans get urge to merge
By adamg on Wed, 08/14/2019 - 8:26pm
NBC Boston reports Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care are looking to become a single insurer. No word on which college name will get dropped from the new entity or if they'll just have a computer generate some nebulous sounding new name.
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Comments
both colleges
Given that they have a President in common, maybe HarTufts. :)
compu-global-hyper-mega-net
compu-global-hyper-mega-net
gather
ye bottomless profits while ye may, ya kooontz
Moredoughforus Healthcare?
n/t
Sooo
We're going to have three choices for health insurance in this state
BCBC of MA (Which also owns Delta Dental)
Neighborhood Health Plan (apart of Partners Healthcare)
Tufts Healthcare, which now will own Harvard Pilgrim
So we went from 6 to 3.
So much for a wide choice.
Magoo sez
Healthcare starts with having a good poo every morning. Magoo.
Oh, fuck off
Sure, but
do you have to do it in the comments section of this blog?
Go away
You're a waste of electrons. Go shack up with TrophyWifeLinda.
Hufts
Hufts
Good Argument for Single Payer
If all the insurance companies are going to merge and jack up prices, wouldn't it be better to have a single payer employed by the public instead of 2-3 private companies with CEOs making millions off our backs?
I know, I know - a bigger private insurance company allegedly will have more bargaining power to lower prices. Has that ever passed down to health insurance subscribers in the past?
It never has
NOPE! And it never will.
You know it, I know it. Single payer is what we need.
I know, I know - a bigger
No, it just makes us providers leave their networks. They don't do any bargaining anyway, they say "here is the rate we will pay you, end of discussion." And most of the bigger ones (BCBS, Tufts, HPHC, United) all reimburse about the same. I suppose the merged orgs may just drop their rates to insulting and financially unacceptable levels like Aetna and CIGNA because there will be even fewer options for us providers, but that will just drive away the more experienced providers and you'll be stuck with rookies. I am about to drop the only insurer I am still in network with and go full private pay so I can actually make a livable wage.
What is a livable wage?
How much do you need to make?
A bigger private insurance
A bigger private insurance company might well have more bargaining power with vendors to lower their costs - what they pay the vendors. However, a bigger private insurance company, facing less competition, has less incentive to pass those savings along to the customers.to lower OUR costs.
There's the rub
Come on, it's worked great for cable, hasn't it?
For cable companies.