Jump to content
Posted

U.S. judge finds that Aetna misled the public about its reasons for quitting Obamacare

Source: Los Angeles Times

"Aetna claimed this summer that it was pulling out of all but four of the 15 states where it was providing Obamacare individual insurance because of a business decision — it was simply losing too much money on the Obamacare exchanges.

Now a federal judge has ruled that that was a rank falsehood. In fact, says Judge John D. Bates, Aetna made its decision at least partially in response to a federal antitrust lawsuit blocking its proposed $37-billion merger with Humana. Aetna threatened federal officials with the pullout before the lawsuit was filed, and followed through on its threat once it was filed. Bates made the observations in the course of a ruling he issued Monday blocking the merger."

"The judge’s conclusions about Aetna’s real reasons for pulling out of Obamacare — as opposed to the rationalization the company made in public — are crucial for the debate over the fate of the Affordable Care Act. That’s because the company’s withdrawal has been exploited by Republicans to justify repealing the act. Just last week, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) cited Aetna’s action on the “Charlie Rose” show, saying that it proved how shaky the exchanges were.

Bates found that this rationalization was largely untrue. In fact, he noted, Aetna pulled out of some states and counties that were actually profitable to make a point in its lawsuit defense — and then misled the public about its motivations. Bates’ analysis relies in part on a “smoking gun” letter to the Justice Department in which Chief Executive Mark Bertolini explicitly ties Aetna’s participation in Obamacare to the DOJ’s actions on the merger, which we reported in August. But it goes much further.

Smoking gun? Aetna threatened to quit Obamacare if the government blocked its Humana merger"

Read more: https://news.google.com/news/amp?caurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fhiltzik%2Fla-fi-hiltzik-aetna-obamacare-20170123-story%2Camp.html#a-e9c9cc92-52dc-44b8-b982-8424fda37471
 

So.. they tried to extort the feds to get their merger, then when they didn't get what they wanted the lied to the public to try to make the ACA look bad when in fact they were profitable in many markets.
  • Replies 12
  • Views 350
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Featured Replies

shocker....

  • USA Donating Member

Why is this news?  I thought we all knew this?  And it was the US gov't overreaching their boundaries in the private market.  Again.....and again.....and again.  

Or, do some of you actually believe they were making money in those states they pulled out of?

Cuz....really?  Wonder how the ACA showed an under budget ledger a while back by withholding state and insurance subsidies from the states and carriers?  Oh wait....answered that question in my question.  WIN!!!!

 

It's a business not a 60's commune 

  • Author
5 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

Why is this news?  I thought we all knew this?  And it was the US gov't overreaching their boundaries in the private market.  Again.....and again.....and again.  

Or, do some of you actually believe they were making money in those states they pulled out of?

Cuz....really?  Wonder how the ACA showed an under budget ledger a while back by withholding state and insurance subsidies from the states and carriers?  Oh wait....answered that question in my question.  WIN!!!!

 

wow

  • USA Donating Member
Just now, Mainecat said:

wow

I aim to impress you.  

14 minutes ago, Mainecat said:

wow

wow what?

united heath must have been making to much money also as well as blue cross who are both pulled out of many states including MN where 1 has its HQ at

2 hours ago, Zambroski said:

Why is this news?  I thought we all knew this?  And it was the US gov't overreaching their boundaries in the private market.  Again.....and again.....and again.  

Or, do some of you actually believe they were making money in those states they pulled out of?

Cuz....really?  Wonder how the ACA showed an under budget ledger a while back by withholding state and insurance subsidies from the states and carriers?  Oh wait....answered that question in my question.  WIN!!!!

 

:lmao:do you ever read anything before commenting?

 

2 hours ago, Mainecat said:

wow

this guy has got to be related to racer.

People are going to find they really dont know shit about the insurance game. And all of these UHC haters dont really hate UHC, they just dont want to pay for it. They like it when the govt forces their employer to pay for it.

  • USA Donating Member
4 hours ago, Snoslinger said:

:lmao:do you ever read anything before commenting?

 

Yep.  This is old fucking news and has already been hashed out here.

Oh...and your side lost then too. :lol:

 

Just now, Zambroski said:

Yep.  This is old fucking news and has already been hashed out here.

Oh...and your side lost then too. :lol:

 

no it is not. clearly you didn't read the OP. fuck you're a waste of time.

 

  • USA Donating Member
2 minutes ago, Snoslinger said:

no it is not. clearly you didn't read the OP. fuck you're a waste of time.

 

That feeling is amazingly mutual.  Come back and talk to me when you put your big boy pants on you pathetic liberal twat.

:groin:

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Recently Browsing 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.