Insurance Startup Oscar Quits Two Markets, Rethinks Obamacare Plans
I just don&#x27;t see how an operation like Oscar fits into the US healthcare landscape.  If the benefits are denominated in dollars and you don&#x27;t have strong negotiating power (Aenta) and are not vertically integrated with the health care provider (Kaiser), how can you not be screwed?  The provider can bill $5000 for one Advil and there&#x27;s little that can be done about that.<p>There&#x27;s no way out of this problem except federal laws that sets the prices of services.  Ibuprofen has a market price of less than a penny per milligram and that should be the end of the story.  It shouldn&#x27;t be possible to bill them at $100 each just because the patient couldn&#x27;t object.  As long as we have a system where the prices for goods and services come as a complete surprise to everybody, it is impossible to have a working &quot;market&quot; for insurance against risk.