As the health reform fight shifts this month from a vacationing
Washington to congressional districts and local airwaves around the
country, much more of the battle than most people realize is already
over. The likely victors are insurance giants such as UnitedHealth
Group, Aetna, and WellPoint.
The carriers have succeeded in redefining the terms of the reform
debate to such a degree that no matter what specifics emerge in the
voluminous bill Congress may send to President Obama this fall, the
insurance industry will emerge more profitable. Health reform could
come with a $1 trillion price tag over the next decade, and it may
complicate matters for some large employers. But insurance CEOs ought
to be smiling.
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