John,
Did you know that health insurance companies initially existed as non-profits to help people get the medical care they needed?
If you want the short version—Big Insurance companies are now taking advantage of you as a taxpayer and enjoying astronomical profits while patients struggle to afford care. Sign Katie’s petition to strengthen Medicare and pass legislation to hold Big Insurance accountable for ripping off Americans.
Here’s some more information on how we ended up here: In the early 1990s (backed by Wall Street) health insurance companies realized they could make billions off of American taxpayers by charging Medicare for inaccurate or inflated claims.
Just the other week, the Justice Department found private insurance companies were falsifying patient records to profit off of Medicare, which means they’re essentially stealing taxpayer dollars.
This is happening while Big Insurance companies rake in huge profits. In 2021, our country’s largest insurer—UnitedHealth Group—made nearly 75% of their money off of taxpayers. Deductibles have increased more than 200% over the past decade, and UnitedHealth expects to bring in more than $300 billion in 2022 alone.
In a spring congressional hearing, Katie asked experts about the cost differences between private insurance companies and Medicare. They told us that Medicare is a far more efficient steward of taxpayer dollars. Private insurance companies spend 17% more on administrative costs than Medicare does. That’s because private insurance companies spend money on things like marketing, commercials, and stock buybacks.
Private insurance companies are prioritizing profits, not patients—and they’re taking advantage of taxpayers when they fraudulently charge Medicare. We can push back against this by strengthening Medicare, expanding the services it offers, and lowering the eligibility age.
—Team Porter
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Katie is running for re-election in California's 47th district, which includes Irvine and coastal Orange County. This purple district contains an equal number of Democrats and Republicans and is a must-win for Democrats. Consider pitching in today so we have the resources to keep Katie in Congress fighting for working people. |
