It sounds like it's better already. I decided in my 20s (after being majorly screwed over) that I could never work for insurance companies. Looks like that was a good decision. I'm glad you had a union!

I've noticed that in the past few weeks all the bigs are talking either buying another company or shopping their own for a buyer.

What's up? I'm hoping by you being in the biz - you could shed some light on this.

I also would like some perspective from an industry insider.

I suspect that the provider wave of consolidations is spawning this one, but the idea that in essence persons in the market will have the choice of only one company is frightening.

I don't think small insurers will be able to compete.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/drug-hospital-m-spurs-big-224300458.html;_ylt=A0LEVoBNm5RVUyUAUd0nnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--

Much bigger reserves.

I do know that some of the bigger companies might be perched like vultures, right now, just waiting for companies like the one I worked for, to be in enough of a financial bind that they will sell off their business, including the physician contracts. It saves a whole lot of time and effort, if they are expanding into an area where they aren't yet approved because it's my understanding that they have to have physician and hospital contracts in place before they can be approved to offer their plan, in that area.

There is a big plan, in my state, that is currently offered on the western part of the state, but not in our area. However, I've recently seen some commercials for that plan. That pretty much makes me think that they are looking to get name recognition before they start expanding across the state. My old company could very easily be in their sights.

The big players can afford to meet it and the smaller ones can't and get taken over.

After Upton Sinclair published The Jungle, Teddy Roosevelt pushed the Pure Food and Drug Act which set up strict (for the time) cleanliness and safety requirements for slaughterhouses. Within a year, 80% of small slaughterhouses had been bought out or gone out of business.

ACA has a similar effect on insurance companies.

Different business but same push (stress and just done with work bs)

will be beneficial. Good luck to you and those you care about.

My last job was with a very unhealthy agency, to the point that I walked out one day, and "retired" myself.
Took 2 months before I felt functional, and I slept 10-12 hours a night for at least 6 weeks.
ain't no job worth your health or sanity.

Now that my stress level is on the down slide, a number of physical signs of being over stressed have disappeared.

The financial uncertainty issue, and what I considered to be really irresponsible management decisions, were really just a part of my reason for leaving so before I left, I sat down with the new CEO and the director of HR with a 4 page long list of observations and recommendations. Both meetings lasted about 90 minutes because they asked a lot of questions. My work record and reputation gave me some weight and credibility, so hopefully what I said had some impact. And they both realized that my decision to leave was not made lightly.