Now we know the real reason Aetna bailed on Obamacare

[Hoyt]

31. Truthfully, a $300 Million loss is not that great if getting out means they lose their place as

a possible partner with government down the road. I doubt we will ever be rid of insurance companies. First, even with Medicare, insurance companies pay the claims, perform utilization and quality reviews, write coverage policies within government guidelines, enroll providers, answer questions, etc. Plus, insurance companies run Medicare Advantage plans which almost 33% of Medicare beneficiaries have voluntarily selected, and they run the Drug Coverage programs.

Fact is, government doesn't have the infrastructure to administer Medicare, and Medicaid in most states, and I don't see them ponying up the money to do so any time soon. It's actually cheaper, at least in the short-run, to let insurance companies do most of the direct administration. Might not be the way it should be, but it's the way it is. And some foreign countries have adopted a similar model.