RE: FW: FW: [Winona] Re: Health Insurance costs

[Paul Double]

Terri and others   The insurance industry does play a major part in fixing prices.  There is a great deal of information which supports this.  The Robinson-Patman does not exclude the healthcare industry as many of the FTC actions show.  Non Profits Providers are exempt so long as they follow the rules.  We would all be better off if their exemption was eliminated.   Stephen E. Foreman, Phd, Jd, MPa Director, Pennsylvania Medical Society Health Services Research Institute testified in behalf of the American Medical Association to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice April-May 2003   “Large health insurers are not guardians of the competitive process or the welfare of patients.  That task is essential to the mission of FTC and the DoJ”   “in 2001 the ten largest not-for-profit insurers earned another $1.5 billion.”   This is his full statement with lots of information   http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/healthcarehearings/docs/030424foreman.pdf   http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/healthcarehearings/index.htm http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/05/asmg.htm http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/sourthwestphys.htm