[coredog64]

Private insurance companies are already deeply ingrained in Medicare, and I’m not just talking about Medicare Advantage. HHS has 5 or 6 large regional contracts where they have a private insurance company handle most of the administration. Uncle Sugar just pays the bills.

Which isn’t really too much different from private insurance at a large employer: Cigna or whoever just brings admin and a network of providers, while your employer pays the bills out of some actuarially sound pool of money.

Smaller employers can’t usually swing this, and that’s where the crappy rates come from.