One of the things that is missed when people talk about the margins earned by the various firms is the amount of healthcare that is not needed but done...
I have had a sister and my mom go into the hospital the last couple of years... my sister had a good number of doctors come by and do tests on her... some were never needed and never requested... but the spending was done anyhow.... so they made a profit of 13% or so.... but 100% of the costs were not needed...
My mom was recently in for fainting and falling... they have done a good number of tests on her as they do not know why... the costs have piled up and I am still dealing with them.... they think there is some 'growth' on her heart.... when I asked my sister (a nurse) what could be done she said nothing.... nobody is going to do open heart surgery on a 94 YO.... so they continued to do tests anyhow... they did a blood flow test on her legs.... why
It costs hundreds of dollars to do with no change in her diagnosis....
Sometimes the doctors that we trust are doing things to us that should not be done.... for a profit... even a 13% profit....