And yet Aetna does pretty well for itself: http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AAET&ei=yIswVam_LOuJsge4_YHQBw http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AAET&ei=y

And yet Aetna does pretty well for itself: http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AAET&ei=yIswVam_LOuJsge4_YHQBw http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AAET&ei=yIswVam_LOuJsg... So does Humana: http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AHUM&ei=44swVcjiAcSGsgfL5oCgCg http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AHUM&ei=44swVcjiAcSGsg... And Anthem: http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AANTM&ei=OIwwVYr5OIWDsQfltYGoAQ http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AANTM&ei=OIwwVYr5OIWDs... And Pfizer: http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3APFE&ei=uYwwVeG2DezwsQfMhoCAAw http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3APFE&ei=uYwwVeG2DezwsQ... And Bayer: http://www.google.com/finance?q=ETR%3ABAYN&ei=Fo0wVcmsE6qysQfk84DoCg http://www.google.com/finance?q=ETR%3ABAYN&ei=Fo0wVcmsE6qysQ... And that's without even getting started on the corruption of equipment purchasing: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1007.blake.html http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1007.blake.ht... Or the FDA: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall-points-to-serious-problems-at-the-fda/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall... Or even the physician trade union itself: http://seattlepostglobe.org/2011/03/07/warnings-of-doctor-shortage-go-unheeded/ http://seattlepostglobe.org/2011/03/07/warnings-of-doctor-sh... (note that the govt. measure causing the shortage of residency slots was supported by the physicians themselves--only to later recant after the damage had been done) There are some players who have a hard time making an obnoxious profit, sure, but let's not pretend that's the general case. Those shiny new hospitals going up in your local medical center? That money isn't there because healthcare is so affordable and easy to get.