[Former health insurance company executive Wendell Potter told CNN’s Sara Sidner that he understands the anger and frustration that many Americans feel towards the health insurance industry.
“It’s absolutely understandable,” Potter said. “I used to work for Cigna, and I’ve seen firsthand how these companies operate. They’re all about making money, not about helping people.”
Potter explained that he decided to leave his six-figure salary at Cigna in 2008, after being a senior executive at the company for several years.
“I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said. “I saw how we were denying coverage to people who needed it, how we were overcharging them, and how we were making it as difficult as possible for them to get the care they needed. It was wrong, and I couldn’t be a part of it anymore.”
Potter pointed out that the health insurance industry is designed to maximize profits, rather than to provide healthcare to those who need it.
“They’re not a charity,” he said. “They’re a for-profit industry. And their goal is to make as much money as possible, no matter the cost to the consumer or the community.”
The recent killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Stephen Hemsley, has highlighted the frustration and anger that many Americans feel towards the health insurance industry, Potter said.
“It’s not just about the CEO being killed,” he said. “It’s about the system as a whole. It’s about the way that health insurance companies prioritize profits over people. And it’s about the way that they take advantage of the most vulnerable members of society.”
Potter believes that the healthcare system needs to be overhauled in order to prioritize the needs of patients over profits.
“We need a system that is designed to provide healthcare to those who need it, not a system that is designed to make money,” he said. “We need a system that is transparent and accountable, and that puts the needs of patients first.”
In conclusion, Potter said that he understands why many Americans are angry towards the health insurance industry, and that he believes that the system needs to be changed in order to prioritize the needs of patients.
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