[anarticle]

I think in the case of Optum + UnitedHealthCare being the Scylla and Charybdis of a healthcare situation, we should break up this style of business. Owning both sides of the equation means there is no competition if you are unlucky enough to find this combination.

Feels like two wolves negotiating on how much of the sheep (the sheep is you) they get to eat.

Dare I ask, who is for the "consumer"? If we should even use those words in this system, which in my mind should be for a nation keeping its citizens alive and well both of their own sake and the state's sake.

[nradov]

That same basic "payvider" business model has been around since Kaiser Permanente pioneered it in the 1940s. The problem isn't with the business model per se, but with consolidation that has effectively eliminated competition in some regions.

[anarticle]

How is the payvider model better for customers?

I see why it can reduce costs in a runaway cartel based system, but how does it prevent the two wolf scenario? (It's the same wolf in this scheme.)