Editing Openai/692cb885-da9c-8002-9696-e985fae204bd (section)

==== Transforming all health insurance companies into non-profit entities is an ambitious idea aimed at realigning the industry with the public interest. In theory, removing the profit motive would lower premiums, improve coverage, and reduce the adversarial behavior (like excessive claim denials) that policyholders currently endurerochesterbeacon.com<ref>{{cite web|title=rochesterbeacon.com|url=https://rochesterbeacon.com/2024/12/09/the-health-insurance-industry-ought-to-be-nonprofit/#:~:text=%E2%96%A0%C2%A0First%2C%20consider%20the%20focus%20on,pocket%20costs%20for%20policyholders|publisher=rochesterbeacon.com|date=2024-12-09|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>. Other developed countries show that you can have privately delivered insurance that is tightly regulated or non-profit and achieves universal coverage with lower administrative costsjamanetwork.com<ref>{{cite web|title=jamanetwork.com|url=https://jamanetwork.com/channels/health-forum/fullarticle/2760129#:~:text=But%20even%20a%20profit%20margin,health%20care%20workers%20and%20facilities|publisher=jamanetwork.com|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>commonwealthfund.org<ref>{{cite web|title=commonwealthfund.org|url=https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/switzerland#:~:text=age%2C%20and%20disability%20insurance%2C%20made,percent%20of%20spending%20in%202016|publisher=commonwealthfund.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>. At the very least, the question shines a light on how much of Americans’ premium dollars are siphoned to profits and overhead rather than actual health care. ====

Even if a fully non-profit model isn’t immediately attainable, there are numerous mechanisms to reduce insurance costs for enrollees in the nearer term. Stronger regulations (like stricter medical loss ratio requirements), introduction of a public option, competitive pressure from non-profit plans, and direct cost control strategies can all push premiums down or slow their growth. Moreover, focusing insurers (whether for-profit or not) on value-based care, preventive health, and administrative simplification will help ensure that the maximum share of our national health spending actually goes to keeping people healthy. The ACA began to implement some of these ideas – for example, it capped insurer profit margins and provided subsidies – but the past decade has also shown that insurers can thrive under those rules, sometimes at consumers’ expensetruthout.org<ref>{{cite web|title=truthout.org|url=https://truthout.org/articles/top-5-us-health-insurers-annual-profits-jumped-230-percent-since-acas-passage/#:~:text=Securities%20and%20Exchange%20Commission%20and,other%20disclosure%20forms|publisher=truthout.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>truthout.org<ref>{{cite web|title=truthout.org|url=https://truthout.org/articles/top-5-us-health-insurers-annual-profits-jumped-230-percent-since-acas-passage/#:~:text=This%20year%2C%20the%20average%20health,risen%2052%20percent%2C%20outpacing%20inflation|publisher=truthout.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.

Reimagining the financial structure of insurance to prioritize patients over profits could yield a more equitable and cost-effective system. By converting profits into consumer benefits, a non-profit insurance model (or a hybrid with strong public options) would essentially return wealth from shareholders to the population of people paying into the health care system. It’s a way of saying that health insurance should be treated less as a high-return corporate enterprise and more as a social good or utility. Combined with robust cost-control policies and coverage expansions, this approach could help bend the cost curve and make quality health care more affordable for everyone.

Ultimately, the goal is a system where the trillions we spend on health care deliver real value in health outcomes and financial protection – rather than generating billions in profit while families struggle with medical bills. Moving toward non-profit insurers and related reforms could be a powerful step in that direction, ensuring that any surplus in the system finds its way back to patients, enrollees, and the improvement of health services instead of into shareholders’ pocketsrochesterbeacon.com<ref>{{cite web|title=rochesterbeacon.com|url=https://rochesterbeacon.com/2024/12/09/the-health-insurance-industry-ought-to-be-nonprofit/#:~:text=%E2%96%A0%C2%A0First%2C%20consider%20the%20focus%20on,pocket%20costs%20for%20policyholders|publisher=rochesterbeacon.com|date=2024-12-09|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>rochesterbeacon.com<ref>{{cite web|title=rochesterbeacon.com|url=https://rochesterbeacon.com/2024/12/09/the-health-insurance-industry-ought-to-be-nonprofit/#:~:text=%E2%96%A0%C2%A0Second%2C%20there%20is%20the%20matter,invest%20in%20preventive%20care%20programs|publisher=rochesterbeacon.com|date=2024-12-09|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.

Sources:
* Santoro, H. (2024). Top 5 US Health Insurers’ Annual Profits Jumped 230 Percent Since ACA’s Passage. Truthout/The Levertruthout.org<ref>{{cite web|title=truthout.org|url=https://truthout.org/articles/top-5-us-health-insurers-annual-profits-jumped-230-percent-since-acas-passage/#:~:text=America%E2%80%99s%20largest%20health%20insurers%20have,medical%20claims%20from%20its%20policyholders|publisher=truthout.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>truthout.org<ref>{{cite web|title=truthout.org|url=https://truthout.org/articles/top-5-us-health-insurers-annual-profits-jumped-230-percent-since-acas-passage/#:~:text=This%20year%2C%20the%20average%20health,risen%2052%20percent%2C%20outpacing%20inflation|publisher=truthout.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.
* Reinhardt, U. (2017). Where Does the Health Insurance Premium Dollar Go? JAMA Health Forumjamanetwork.com<ref>{{cite web|title=jamanetwork.com|url=https://jamanetwork.com/channels/health-forum/fullarticle/2760129#:~:text=|publisher=jamanetwork.com|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>jamanetwork.com<ref>{{cite web|title=jamanetwork.com|url=https://jamanetwork.com/channels/health-forum/fullarticle/2760129#:~:text=But%20even%20a%20profit%20margin,health%20care%20workers%20and%20facilities|publisher=jamanetwork.com|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.
* Batabyal, A.A. (2024). The health insurance industry ought to be nonprofit. Rochester Beacon (Op-ed)rochesterbeacon.com<ref>{{cite web|title=rochesterbeacon.com|url=https://rochesterbeacon.com/2024/12/09/the-health-insurance-industry-ought-to-be-nonprofit/#:~:text=%E2%96%A0%C2%A0Second%2C%20there%20is%20the%20matter,invest%20in%20preventive%20care%20programs|publisher=rochesterbeacon.com|date=2024-12-09|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>rochesterbeacon.com<ref>{{cite web|title=rochesterbeacon.com|url=https://rochesterbeacon.com/2024/12/09/the-health-insurance-industry-ought-to-be-nonprofit/#:~:text=%E2%96%A0%C2%A0Finally%2C%20think%20about%20the%20alignment,contribute%20to%20a%20healthier%20society|publisher=rochesterbeacon.com|date=2024-12-09|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.
* Commonwealth Fund (2017). Big Five Health Insurers’ Membership and Revenue Trendstruthout.org<ref>{{cite web|title=truthout.org|url=https://truthout.org/articles/top-5-us-health-insurers-annual-profits-jumped-230-percent-since-acas-passage/#:~:text=These%20five%20insurers%20control%20over,helped%20Americans%20buy%20private%20insurance|publisher=truthout.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.
* Commonwealth Fund (2020). International Health System Profile – Switzerlandcommonwealthfund.org<ref>{{cite web|title=commonwealthfund.org|url=https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/switzerland#:~:text=age%2C%20and%20disability%20insurance%2C%20made,percent%20of%20spending%20in%202016|publisher=commonwealthfund.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.
* Center for American Progress (2022). Excess Administrative Costs Burden the U.S. Health Care Systemamericanprogress.org<ref>{{cite web|title=americanprogress.org|url=https://www.americanprogress.org/article/excess-administrative-costs-burden-u-s-health-care-system/#:~:text=Medicare%20and%20Medicaid%20hover%20around,relatively%20high%20health%20expenditures%2C%20the|publisher=americanprogress.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.
* Kaiser Family Foundation (2023). 2024 Medical Loss Ratio Rebatescommonwealthfund.org<ref>{{cite web|title=commonwealthfund.org|url=https://www.commonwealthfund.org/sites/default/files/2019-07/Hall_MLR_rule_protects_consumers_insurers.pdf#:~:text=,capping%20insurers%27%20profits%20and%20overhead|publisher=commonwealthfund.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>. (ACA mandate capping insurer profits/overhead).
* GAO & KFF data on premium trends and market concentrationtruthout.org<ref>{{cite web|title=truthout.org|url=https://truthout.org/articles/top-5-us-health-insurers-annual-profits-jumped-230-percent-since-acas-passage/#:~:text=This%20year%2C%20the%20average%20health,risen%2052%20percent%2C%20outpacing%20inflation|publisher=truthout.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>truthout.org<ref>{{cite web|title=truthout.org|url=https://truthout.org/articles/top-5-us-health-insurers-annual-profits-jumped-230-percent-since-acas-passage/#:~:text=These%20five%20insurers%20control%20over,helped%20Americans%20buy%20private%20insurance|publisher=truthout.org|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref>.