Opinion | Who Really Controls Your Health Care?

OK. Here we go. Do insurance companies prioritize profit over patient care? “Insurance companies are making tens of billions of dollars every year denying you coverage.” “It was like the insurance company telling me my life didn’t matter.” “Breaking news. the C.E.O. of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed.” “41 percent of people age 18 to 29 think the killing was either somewhat or completely acceptable.” “‘Sorry, my sympathy is out of network.’” “This incident and the reaction to it ought to be a wake-up call to this industry.” Do insurance companies prioritize profit over patient care? I would say no. I think most insurance companies would believe that patient care is very important and optimal patient care is what they’re trying to help deliver, and that there are not going to be any profits if they don’t take care of the patient. So I would say no, they do not. Got it. I would say that, yes, they do prioritize profit over patient care. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making money in health care. When I think about finding the right point of balance, there’s been a shift toward profit and away from this autonomous decision- making for patients. I can think of some specific examples where I know what’s right for my patient. And I don’t even think it’s more expensive. But an insurance company has told me, no, you can’t do that thing. You can’t do that type of breast reconstruction. And in most of those situations, it’s really felt like that was about profit. When I look at what’s happened over the last 13 years that I’ve been in practice, insurance companies are making more and more money, and doctors are making less and less. And I see patients experiencing difficulties in getting care. Well, I have a lot of responses to that.