Letter to the WSJ: Health Insurers' Profits

The Wall Street Journal

Health Insurers' Profits
December 13, 2004; Page A17

One glaring omission from your article "Health Spending Continues to Rise at a Fast Pace1" (Dec. 2) is the contribution of health insurance companies' soaring profits to the detriment of our health-care system. Aetna's net income rose 38% last quarter and its CEO and president received combined compensation of approximately $29 million last year, according to American Medical News. Meanwhile, the company has increased premiums and co-payments while reimbursing physicians at or below Medicare rates. Consumers, employers and health-care providers are suffering at the expense of insurance companies and will continue to do so until public awareness of this problem rises.

Mary Talley Bowden, M.D.
Houston

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110290593626398148,00.html

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