Independence Blue Cross-Highmark Monopoly Snuffed Out

Victory for Patients and Providers; Defeat for Profit-First Health Insurers
Source Article: OpEd News.com.
Yesterday's stunning development (see article) that set back the monopoly-consolidation plans of Pennsylvania's two largest health insurance companies, Philadelphia-based Independence Blue Cross and Pittsburgh-based Highmark, also dramatically boosts the prospects of Pennsylvania's State Legislature passing our universal healthcare legislation, the "Family and Business Healthcare Security Act." Governor Ed Rendell--alone among state executives--is on record, repeatedly saying that he will sign Pennsylvania's public single-payer bill once it hits his desk.
Healthcare for All Pennsylvania Executive Director Chuck Pennacchio responded to yesterday's news: "This dramatic defeat for the previously 'untouchable' health insurance giants signals a power shift in Harrisburg that very few people saw coming."
Added Pennacchio, "Healthcare for All Pennsylvania's 8,000 members have spent much of the last year fighting this monopoly merger, while advocating for the proven Single Payer Solution--both on the basis of economics, human decency, and simple common sense. Today we are victorious in blocking the expansion of an industry that causes the loss of 31 cents out of our every healthcare dollar--an industry that profits off of our suffering, and puts 95% of us at risk of medical bankruptcy should we experience a medical catastrophe. Having achieved the first of our two goals, we are now poised to enact into law the 'Family and Business Healthcare Security Act.'"
BACKGROUND:
The "Family and Business Healthcare Security Act" will establish a healthcare policy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by the following terms: publicly-funded, privately-provided, guaranteed, comprehensive, quality, affordable, healthcare for all of its citizens.
Everybody in, nobody out. One risk pool. No more medical bankruptcies.