(NewsNation) — Oscar Health CEO Mark Bertolini believes anger at the health care system is “justified.”
The killing of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 has led to an outpouring of backlash against the quality of health insurance and subsequent denials across the country.
“I would eliminate employer-sponsored insurance,” Bertolini told CNBC as a potential solution to the current frustrations.
“The ability of your employer to negotiate against a large insurance company that has a much larger relationship with the provider community is very stinted now,” he added.
“You can’t do it now. The (employing) companies have no leverage now. When you look at the basic foundation of our economy, which is small business and middle market, they have none.”
Bertolini rejected the notion that claim rates are not less for the individual market.
“Employers buy for the average of their employee population. They buy large networks because their employees use a lot of providers. As a result, the ability to negotiate a better rate with that provider group is a lot less because you’ve got everybody in.
“But when you get narrow networks, which is what’s happening in the individual market, an individual can find their network.”
