More from the article...

... The nature of health insurance(-plus) companies has changed drastically over the last decade.

- - - Three of them processed nearly 80% of prescription claims last year, one of them is owned by the nation's largest pharmacy chain and one has become the largest U.S. employer of doctors.

- - - Some of them have also recently acquired primary care providers, home health companies and urgent care services.

- - - "Defining what is an insurance company ... in some ways has become very hard," said Craig Garthwaite, a professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. ...

Another "benefit" of healthcare-for-profit.

Forgot to add, good chart in the article.

@#4 ... Thanks to ACA. ...

ACA was originally a Republican idea, put forth because Republicans were tired of paying for those wh showed up in emercengy rooms without insurance.

Case in point:

My doctor (of 4 decades) office apparently was purchased by a private equity group that then set up a medical facility that seems to have combined all the local doctor offices they purchased.

Back in 2018, I called that new facility to make an appointment for my annual physical checkup.

I was greeted by a robot menu, I chose ~make an appointment.~ I was transferred to a ringing phone that was not answered.

I tried again a few days later, with the same result. And again a few days later. Same result.

Keep in mind, before my doctor's office was apparently acquired by private equity, when I called, the call was always answered before the third ring.

As a result of my inability to schedule an appointment with my doctor, I have not had an annual physical exam in six years.

Yeah, healthcare for profit.

Such an improvement.