Critique of For-Profit Health Insurers in Congress

The HealthCare.gov website allows individuals to purchase health insurance. In a display of growing concern, a physician-legislator is now challenging the influential lobby of health insurers in Washington.

In 2025, the top seven for-profit health insurance companies reported revenues nearing $1.7 trillion, with profits exceeding $54 billion. There are indications that profits may be higher due to tactics used to obscure financial gains. Despite the capitalist nature of profit, the heavy reliance of insurers on taxpayer dollars raises questions. UnitedHealthcare, for instance, sources more than 77 percent of its revenue from government programs, despite a larger customer base in commercial plans. This discrepancy highlights the aggressive lobbying for ObamaCare subsidies.

“Since 2015, these companies have spent over $137 billion repurchasing their own shares,” states the article. These buybacks inflate share prices, boost executive compensation, and conceal financial vulnerabilities. Historically, buybacks were seen as market manipulation and were mostly illegal. While shareholders expect returns, insurers use profits for stock buybacks rather than reducing premiums, exacerbating patient costs.

The ongoing oligopoly extracts almost $2 trillion annually from Americans while limiting patient care through increased pre-authorizations, denials, and out-of-network battles. These tactics prioritize executive and shareholder profit over patient access and affordability.

The rise of vertical integration matches the timeline of ObamaCare, reflecting a law designed in favor of insurance companies. The article suggests breaking apart these large insurers and ending for-profit health insurance altogether, arguing that the current bureaucracy is unaffordable for patients.

Visits to the emergency room or therapy for treatable conditions should not be financial burdens, nor should essential medicines be priced beyond reach. The focus remains on holding accountable sectors in American medicine that hinder patient well-being. Misconduct by health insurance giants is paramount among these issues. Public awareness is increasing as more Americans and Congress members recognize these practices.

Dr. Greg Murphy, representing North Carolina’s 3rd District and co-chairing the Congressional Doctors Caucus, underscores the necessity of reforming health insurance practices for the benefit of American patients.

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