Opinion

Health plan profits should go to higher reimbursement or back to members

LETTER — Posted Jan. 16, 2006

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Regarding "Most big health plans see profits growing" (Article, Nov. 28, 2005): This article showing the obscene profits of the health insurance industry makes me wonder why the AMA doesn't lobby government to require that insurers either pay for more medical care or return the money to the insured.

They should not be allowed to put that money in their pockets simply because they have it in their hands. There is a limit to profit, and they have far exceeded that limit.

If the role of government is to protect its citizens, then they ought to get busy protecting us from being milked by the health insurance companies.

Robert M. Miller, MD, West Hills, Calif.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/01/16/edlt0116.htm.

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