Walmart enters health insurance biz

[Loki]

This is one to watch. Usually it’s hard to do but that are many reasons they could succeed.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/walmart-forays-health-insurance-bid-101107585.html

[xenon]

Interesting.

My understanding is that Insurers are the real healthcare customers as far as hospitals and health systems are concerned.

Patients are more like a necessary input to make it work.

[Loki]

@xenon said in Walmart enters health insurance biz:

Interesting.

My understanding is that Insurers are the real healthcare customers as far as hospitals and health systems are concerned.

Patients are more like a necessary input to make it work.

Very much so except the with high deductible plans they have to increasingly go after patients direct.

Also as unemployment surges they lose the lucrative commercial payers as patients move to Medicaid, ACA or go uninsured.

[taiwan_girl]

@Loki said in Walmart enters health insurance biz:

Also as unemployment surges they lose the lucrative commercial payers as patients move to Medicaid, ACA or go uninsured.

I thought that in the ACA, regular insurance was provided. It is no different (other than cost or subsidy) from getting directly from an insurance company.

Another question - wasn't Amazon looking at possible doing this also?

[jon-nyc]

Agreed they could not succeed but the fact that they’re trying is unmitigated good news.

[Loki]

Nearly US 95% of consumers shopped at Walmart in 2017.