So, United Health's CEO Dr. William McGuire gets 1.6 BILLION dollars worth in options. Now, besides the normal issues we can focus in on, such as corporate fiscal responsibility, or justification for what one man can do in any single day to justify the equivalent of a multi-million dollar daily "salary", how about discussing the question of skyrocketing insurance premiums. [from a performance perspective, the CEO cannot claim how well the company's stock has done this past year since UNH has been down as much as 28% off it's high since December - which doesn't mean the company hasn't been making boatloads of money (it's sitting on over $8 billion in cash)]

For years, HMOs have blamed doctors for rising insurance costs. HMOs have the money to create the public sentiment they desire and lobby for what they want - and have done so very successfully to all our detriment. Doctors, who generally work on their own, are usually more interested in curing patients then dealing with such "business issues". The end result? Even with a $25 copay, you are likely wondering why you are paying over $400 per month for insurance (and that's not including dental)!

Although some doctors still make good money, the heyday for most is in fact long gone. Besides all the tricks the insurance companies use NOT to pay doctors, the rates they do pay would probably shock you. I know this because my father is a doctor, and I have seen first-hand all of the games they play.

So, the end result? Wow! United Health is making so much money that they were able to pay out $1.6 BILLION to their CEO. If the government wants to help control health insurance rates for the public, perhaps it should begin by seeing if most of our health premiums are not simply dissappearing the way of some big CEOs pocket - now that might be some real progress, and maybe really put some mo money back in all our pockets. [This is not necessarily to say more government intervention is necessary, but perhaps they should further investigate the real reasons health insurance premiums are rising so quickly. One more big cause would, of course, go back to monetary inflation as well.]

Extra Note: Besides health insurance company reform, we also need some serious hospital billing reform and enforcement. An estimated 90 percent of all hospital bills are incorrect, costing patients an average of $1350 extra. In some cases, overbillings can go into the 10's of THOUSANDS of dollars, and include fees such as $129 for a box of tissues - talk about hitting someone when they're down! While they're at it, perhaps the hospitals can try soliciting coffin sales from patients who pass on. Hospitals try to get away with all sorts of things, and sometimes even moreso for poorer uninsured clients who do not have the "protection" of an insurance company ready to fight, deny, or place a cap on each charge.