Diane Archer

February 27, 2007

Diane Archer is the founder and past president of the Medicare Rights Center. She is an attorney and a national expert on Medicare.

The health insurance industry is full of surprises, but history and experience show that insurers will never surprise us with a good, affordable health care system for America. No cocktail of regulations, subsidies and tax credits will provide health security to the uninsured, underinsured and anxiously insured—virtually all Americans.

By Phil Mattera,
Corporate Research Project
February 26, 2007

Healthcare reform is in the air.

Ideas for dealing with the 46 million Americans without medical insurance seem to be popping up faster than new cases of the winter flu. President Bush proposes to use tax deductions to help people buy individual plans. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to make it mandatory for everyone in his state to obtain insurance and would force employers who don't provide coverage to pay into a fund.

Rose Ann DeMoro

Union members have a huge stake in the present debate on health care reform.

By SALLY C. PIPES
Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2007; Page A19

Presidential hopeful John Edwards recently unveiled a plan for universal health care, proving that the bad idea of raising taxes on employers and forcing individuals to purchase insurance holds bipartisan appeal. Before others get carried away with this model, they should take a look at its most recent manifestation in Massachusetts.

February 16, 2007

New York Times 

Op-Ed Columnist

By PAUL KRUGMAN

Is the health insurance business a racket? Yes, literally — or so say two New York hospitals, which have filed a racketeering lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and several of its affiliates. 

William W. McGuire’s Estimated Annual Retirement Benefit: $5,092,000*

*Calculated by The Corporate Library for the AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch  

UnitedHealth Group CEO William W. McGuire will receive an annual supplemental retirement benefit for his lifetime. If he retires at age 65, his pension benefit will equal 65 percent of his average cash compensation over his past 36 months of employment. This special pension benefit is part of McGuire’s employment agreement. [1]