It's one of those little Internet oddities that pops up now and again. The August 16 Boston Globe headline says
But the url on the same Robert-Weisman story says the insurers posted strong quarterly results:
Theories?
- Weisman is on vaction, wrote the story before he left based on some inside scoop and then had to scramble to rewrite from wherever when the news came out (the url always stays the same though)
- Weisman is on vacation and an astute editor realized "profits" (these companies are all non-profits) being cut in half was more newsworthy that having profits at all
- Weisman is on vacation and didn't write the story
Reality?
- Make our non-profit healthcare insurers fix premiums as Deval Patrick has succeeded in doing by jawboning and they will not generate enough money to both run their business and build up essential reserves. (Do the same to providers; expect the same result.)
- Harvard and Tufts have already tried to merge. Brave little Fallon can't be long for this world after losing its historic bet on HMOs and its doctors and hospital (but winning its singular fuck-you to Patrick in 2010). I can't feel too sorry for any of them, however. You lie down with dogs, you get fleas.
- Blue Cross will further monopolize the state, we'll let for-profits like Aetna in from across the border, and pretty soon premiums will be rising out of sight again.
-- Dennis Byron
