Former Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini joins "Squawk Box" to talk about the state of the health care industry. The discussion touches on how the U.S. can improve its system, socialized medicine, and the recent Biogen Alzheimer's trial cancellation.
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Fmr. Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini on 'Medicare for All': No one can explain to me what it is
Why does he need help in understanding medicare for all?
Doesn”t he know it’s the same as obama care?
How many socialists are willing to pay premiums or taxes every month to be self insured?
of course, congess people get a free silver plan every year with cradle to jail coverage
He doesn’t need help. But most people think Medicare for all is something like what they have in Canada or the UK and it’s not. And there is no reason to believe Medicare for all is going to save costs.
+P Pumpkin there are a few reasons actually. They are called studies. Multiple studies by economists have concluded MFA would be cheaper than the current system.
+Interesting Economics The old multiple studies argument. Don’t know what MFA is. Congressional economists said the ACA would would cut health care costs – is hasn’t. The problem with most studies is they use static analysis. They assume that providers will charge the same rate, they are charging medicare now. But that won’t happen. Currently private insurance subsidizes medicare, when private insurance is stopped, the providers will seek to make up the revenue.
The point of what this guy is saying is that single payer only focuses on the payer. We will still have the same providers, hospitals, drug companies, etc. – do you think they are suddenly going to take less money? It’s never happened before. The only way they would charge less money is if they cut back on services. There’s no free lunch. All the analysis of single payer focuses only on one side of the equation.
So how can you reduce costs? By taking over the doctors, and hospitals, etc and making them part of the government and reducing their pay. Well that’s what we do with the VA, and our government does not have a good record of controlling costs or providing good services.
I will explain you: Medicare for all. Wow… how complex to understand!
Most people think Medicare for all is something that works in another country – but no other country has it. Has he said it failed in Vermont and Colorado. It’s too expensive. We already have about 25% on medicare and 20%on Medicaid, and those costs are subsidized by private health insurers.
Hopefully he’s out of a job soon
Conifir Ott Yeah, I hate people who help people.
MAURIICE KIING he’s profiting, not helping.
??He’s retired.
“That sounds nice but it is not the way to profit. You are somebody who looks at profit first” – CNBC host. This is the problem with our healthcare system, profit first! This is why every other major country moved away from this model. Why isn’t healthcare elevated like national defense. No one blinks at the staggering costs to fund the Pentagon but the quality of healthcare or who has healthcare coverage is based on profit first.
MAURIICE KIING got any proof?
+Conifir Ott The proof is look at Venezuela.
Defense is the primary responsibility of the Federal Government. It’s the reason why the Federal Government was created. America is a federation of 50 independent states united for a common defense. Health care is the responsibility of the states. Go read the part of the Constitution that says “the responsibilities of the Federal Government are….”
If you listened to what he said, Aetna profit if they provide better service and can reduce costs. It has nothing to do with not paying claims. This was for the Medicare Advantage program. Regular health insurance is regulated by the states and insurers profit is not driven by denying claims.
+P Pumpkin please stop using Venezuela like most trolls. Venezuela was doomed when they nationalized their oil and coupled with bad leadership. See Nigeria
Venezuela would be worse without oil. There’s a problem with socialist, they want to ignore, when it goes really bad. Nationalizing oil is socialism.
Aetna pays him yuge bucks. For that amount of money, he doesn’t want to understand.
He’s retired. Most people think Medicare for all is something that works in another country – but no other country has it. Has he said it failed in Vermont and Colorado. It’s too expensive. We already have about 25% on medicare and 20%on Medicaid, and those costs are subsidized by private health insurers. He understands but most people don’t know what it means. It doesn’t mean any cost savings.