is that a good way to spend it in ron williams the head of aetna concerned about cost effectively $38 million a year. is that a good way to be spending health care dollars? in my own small state of vermont, 630,000 people, a fellow who left blue cross blue shield was the head of the, got a $6.3 million golden parachute s. that a good way to spend health care dollars when people cannot afford health care in this country? the reality is that ceo compensation at the top seven health insurance companies in america averages over $14 million a year. okay. now, in 2009, hhs inspector general reported that 80% of the insurance companies participating in medicare part d, the prescription drug benefit have overcharged subscribers and taxpayers totaling an estimate $4.4 billion. how is that? is that a good way to be spending taxpayer money? typical estimates of the medicare and medicaid fraud are around $60 billion. now, i want to just touch on because we have not gotten into this, to make a simple point, we have uniquely in the industrialized world a health care non-system which is dominated by

the top four health insurance companies in america -- united health group, well point, aetna and humana -- made more than $7.5 billion in combined profit last year, while the bottom fell out for sreurt wastefulry other company, short of the oil industry, across the board. the goal of the democratic health insurance bill is to create health care and quality. republicans want to preserve a broken system, one with escalating costs and no guarantee that the policy is going to be there when you need it. rather than health insurance companies, democrats want to put american families first and help those who are struggling with high health care costs. i think this is a moment of truth for us in this congress. this isn't an easy issue. right now the finance committee and the "help" committee are both working hard in the senate to try to put together health care reform. but let me tell you, without this things are going to get progressively worse. the cost of health care will continue to rise to unsupportable levels. individuals will still feel that even if they have a good health insurance plan

care at the end of life, the national hospice and palliative care organization, united health care, aetna and others -- appear in the record immediately following my statement. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. warner: thank you, mr. president. and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader.

private insurance plans and a public plan, a public option, so they can choose a private plan with aetna or a private plan with united health or a private plan with blue cross blue shield or they can decide to join a public plan, a public plan that might look like medicare, which they can decide, perhaps they would save money or better preventive care or a plan with lower co-pays or deduct ibles, they can -- deductibles. they can make the choice. a great majority of the democratic caucus, and i hope republicans will join us. an overwhelming sector wants that option a public plan and private plan that they can choose that might be similar to medicare. anything that we tried in health care, every time that health care reform was introduced, the across of government takeover and socialized medicine were heard by conservatives who don't think that government should have a role in health care. we're the only country in the world that -- that thinks that, it seems like, because every other country they have a major part of their health care plan, a major, major part is involved with the govern

aetna in 2003, they agreed to settle a class action suit brought by physicians by paying a $470 million in overhauling business practices that the doctors say have shortchanged patient care. humana in 2000 paid a fine for overcharging government. and sigma paid $24.5 million for allegations of medicare fraud. all right. that is just some of what the insurance companies are doing, and them you have private hospital chains. i think that many people here are familiar with that in fact that in 2000, the hospital corporation of america agreed to pay $745 million. $745 million to settle civil charges that it systematically defrauded medicare/medicaid and other federally-funded health care programs. later that year, hca agreed to pay criminal charges and fines of $90 million. and finally in 2003, hca agreed to pay $631 million more in civil fines and a total of $7.1 billion. tenant health care corporation, 2003, they paid $54 million in fines to settle allegations of two doctors working in reading, california to, perform unnecessary cardiac procedures on patients in the interest of profits. im

argument was made quite cleverly last night when the questions to the president, made by the ceo of aetna andy said there was not a level playing field because the public insurer would be in the market regulated by the government, suggesting the government might create regulations for, vetted banners the public unsure what creating a disadvantage for private insurance companies. i have got a couple of responses. one is the lobbyist for the chief lobbyist for the health insurance policy industry. this is a seriously smart and well spoken women. i can't believe that any efforts two of the government to try to rig the market to benefit the public insurer would not be met with the legitimate an outcry from her. more importantly we know from experience is simply not true. how do we know? senator harry reid has called attention to the american public to that. he said the post office has competitors. fedex and ups have been doing pretty well. is a matter of fact they are doing well even though there is a competitive than it for them, that the government has done. that mailbox cannot be used by f

aetna and 2003, agreed to settle a class-action suit brought by physicians by paying $470 million overhauling business practices that doctors say were shortchanged patient care. amana in 2000 he managed a 14.5 million to settle federal charges of overcharging government health programs. sigma, and 20 of repaid $24.5 million to settle allegations of medicare fraud at a hospital that it owns. that is some of what insurance companies do. then you've got hospital change. many people here are familiar with. that in fact in 2000, the hospital corporation of america agreed to pay $745 million. 745 million to settle civil charges that it systematically defrauded. medicare, medicaid and other federally funded health care programs. later that year they agreed to pay criminal fines of around $95 million. finally, and 2003, hca agreed to pay $631 million more in civil fines, total of 1.7 million. tenant healthcare corporation, 203 -- in 2003 paid allegations for to doctors that performed on necessary cardiac procedures on patients in the interest of profits. imagine that. cardiac surgery in order to make