A former health insurance executive is criticizing the country's performance in a recent report that found the U.S. ranks last among 11 high-income countries for healthcare.
Wendell Potter, a former communications leader with Cigna, told Hill.TV's "Rising" Aug. 13 that out-of-pocket healthcare costs in the U.S. are "outrageous" and "just too high."
"We seem to be losing access for equity and care. And part of the reason is that even people who have insurance are underinsured and have, in many cases, to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets before their insurance kicks in," Mr. Potter said.
Mr. Potter has long been a critic of the U.S. health insurance system. In a January 2020 op-ed for The New York Times, Mr. Potter argued that health insurers' "choice" talking point — which says a single-payer health insurance system would limit health plan choice — is a "P.R. concoction" that is inaccurate and a "political ploy."