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Now we know the real reason Aetna bailed on Obamacare
business insider ^ | 8/17 | bob bryan

Posted on 08/17/2016 7:11:29 AM PDT by RummyChick

... Now, however, it appears a large reason for the shift in tone was the Department of Justice's lawsuit to block Aetna's merger with rival Humana.

A July letter, acquired by The Huffington Post, outlined Aetna's thinking on the public exchanges if the deal with Humana were blocked. The letter from Bertolini to the DOJ outlined the effect of a possible merger on its Obamacare business. ...

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 0carenightmare; aca; aetna; bhodoj; healthcare; humana; obama; obamacare; obamacareinsurers
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1 posted on 08/17/2016 7:11:29 AM PDT by RummyChick
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To: RummyChick
It's ALWAYS about the Benjamins. No matter what else is said, it's ALWAYS about the Benjamins.
2 posted on 08/17/2016 7:14:24 AM PDT by GT Vander (Life's priorities; God, Family, Country. Everything else is just details...)
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To: RummyChick

economy of size for Aetna/Humana merger might help pare the losses mounting up from an imbalance in the risk pool. sounds like Econ 1-2 to me.


3 posted on 08/17/2016 7:15:18 AM PDT by avital2
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To: GT Vander

Aetna called their bluff. Basically, Screw us over Obambi..we will screw over your precious Obamacare.


4 posted on 08/17/2016 7:15:51 AM PDT by RummyChick ("...Americans think Trump is running 2 help America &Hillary is running 2 help Hillary" ~Ben Shapiro)
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To: GT Vander
No matter what else is said, it's ALWAYS about the Benjamins.

Learn it.
Love it.
Live it.

5 posted on 08/17/2016 7:16:11 AM PDT by Steely Tom (Vote GOP: A Slower Handbasket)
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To: GT Vander

“Benjamins.” Well, at least until Obama succeeds in renaming them “Stowes,” “Parks,” or “Weezy’s.”


6 posted on 08/17/2016 7:17:07 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: RummyChick

Given the corruption at all levels of government, a failed merger is less about preserving competition and more likely a failure somewhere along the way to cross the correct palms with the correct amount of silver.

Given Obama’s obsession with establishing oligopolies and/or monopolies in the so-called exchanges it seems odd that a merger leading to this same market condition would be blocked.

But we’re talking about the Holder/Lynch DOJ. Mussolini’s black shirts were more honest, impartial and reasonable.


7 posted on 08/17/2016 7:17:09 AM PDT by relictele (Principiis obsta & Finem respice - Resist The Beginnings & Consider The Ends.)
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To: RummyChick

Obamacare is a disaster. There’s no sinister reasons healthcare companies are leaving it.


8 posted on 08/17/2016 7:17:37 AM PDT by dp0622 (The only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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To: RummyChick

It’s always the greedy insurance companies who bail. There seems to be no other reason than profit for insurance companies to exist. Big government managed health care for all must be the solution.


9 posted on 08/17/2016 7:18:06 AM PDT by larryjohnson (FReepersonaltrainer)
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To: RummyChick

They say this as if its some sort of revenge for the government stepping in to tell businesses what they must do...

In reality, the merger probably would have had cost savings benefits, and without the merger they have cut costs some where else- usually that means your least profitable (or greatest cost = loss) products.


10 posted on 08/17/2016 7:18:16 AM PDT by Mr. K (Trump will win NY state - choke on that HilLIARy)
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To: GT Vander

Why should they stay in the disastrous obamacare fiasco?

And it should be about the Benjamins. It’s a for profit company.


11 posted on 08/17/2016 7:18:40 AM PDT by dp0622 (The only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)
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To: Gaffer

“Weezy’s.”

LOVE IT!


12 posted on 08/17/2016 7:24:58 AM PDT by BBB333 (Q: Which is grammatically correct? Joe Biden IS or Joe Biden ARE an idiot?)
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To: avital2

Correct on the Econ part. But a merger is usually attractive where costs can be cut in overheads, competition is reduced and prices can be raised. If the product is still losing money at the point of sale, how do the numbers work to make a merger attractive? Two companies both losing money merge to lose less money? The government sets prices.

They are losing money in exchanges = get out of exchanges. Your right pretty simple.


13 posted on 08/17/2016 7:25:35 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (You couldn't pay me enough to be famous for being stupid!)
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To: avital2
And it has nothing to do with Obamacare. /sarc.
14 posted on 08/17/2016 7:33:13 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: Mr. K; All
They say this as if its some sort of revenge for the government stepping in to tell businesses what they must do... In reality, the merger probably would have had cost savings benefits, and without the merger they have cut costs some where else- usually that means your least profitable (or greatest cost = loss) products.

Exactly! They were on board with obamacare from the outset, thinking the government would continue greasing their palms; the corruptocrats failed to approve their merger so now they are like, 'eff you, you don't scratch our back, we don't scratch yours, and double eff the public!' These insurance guys are just as bad as the government corruptocrats
15 posted on 08/17/2016 7:35:09 AM PDT by notdownwidems (Washington DC has become the enemy of free people everywhere)
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To: Tenacious 1

this Obamacare is only one part of Aetna/Humana’s business. i assume the numbers work in other areas to offset - or the merger wouldn’t have been considered.


16 posted on 08/17/2016 7:54:50 AM PDT by avital2
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To: avital2

Good point. It makes sense that the company is getting out of the business that is losing money.


17 posted on 08/17/2016 7:57:54 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (You couldn't pay me enough to be famous for being stupid!)
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To: RummyChick

This is the liberal spin. Obamacare is going down irrespective though.


18 posted on 08/17/2016 8:05:32 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: larryjohnson

A tax paying company HAS to make profit before any additional “purposes” can be acted upon. If they don’t “make profit”, then they are called a charity.

Liberals would like all companies to be charities. Or at least they think they do.


19 posted on 08/17/2016 8:09:34 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (You couldn't pay me enough to be famous for being stupid!)
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To: avital2

Would have happened anyway. Aetna lost $200 million in the exchanges IN THE 2ND QUARTER ALONE. I’ve seen annual losses in excess of a billion for a single provider.

What I want to know is why aren’t these CEO’s being sued by their boards? Why hasn’t a US district... Strike that. We know the answer to that one.


20 posted on 08/17/2016 9:07:04 AM PDT by Tallguy
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