Democratic lawmakers are calling for aggressive action to curb the increasing market power of UnitedHealth Group, including a possible breakup of a business empire they say is undermining competition, corrupting Medicare, and hurting vulnerable patients.
The lawmakers, including several U.S. senators, argue the problems created by the company’s size and reach demand immediate steps to restore public confidence in the health care system. They condemned the targeted killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance business. But they said the display of resentment and rage that followed was neither new nor surprising at a time when people feel powerless to defend themselves against a company that controls their doctors, their data, and their insurance policies.
“By buying up every part of our health care system — from the largest insurer in the nation, largest network of physicians, and everything in between — UnitedHealth Group has successfully bypassed competition and funneled billions of dollars to its own subsidiaries,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told STAT in a statement. “For the sake of patients, taxpayers, and independent practices, policymakers should act to prohibit joint ownership of health insurers and their provider subsidiaries, including physicians and pharmacies.”
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