Warren Hawley Smash UnitedHealthcare Empire

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley join forces in a rare bipartisan push to shatter “Big Medicine” giants like UnitedHealthcare and CVS, echoing President Trump’s fight against corporate overreach that drives up costs for American families.

Story Highlights

Warren (D-MA) and Trump ally Hawley (R-MO) introduce bill prohibiting healthcare conglomerates from owning insurers, PBMs, pharmacies, and providers simultaneously.
Targets vertical integration enabling “double-dipping” profiteering, likened to Glass-Steagall for banking to restore competition and lower drug prices.
Builds on failed 2024 legislation amid midterm focus on affordability, with FTC/HHS/DOJ enforcement powers.
Healthcare consolidation post-2000 has put seven giants in Fortune 20, controlling 80% of PBM claims and 75% of doctors.
Promised relief for working Americans squeezed by inflation-fueled medical costs under past mismanagement.

Bill Targets Corporate Healthcare Monopolies

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley introduced bipartisan legislation on a Tuesday, exclusively reported by CBS News. The bill dismantles vertically integrated conglomerates such as UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health. These firms control insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), pharmacies, and medical providers. The measure prohibits ownership across transaction sides to curb profiteering. It mandates divestitures within three years, empowering FTC, HHS, and DOJ with enforcement authority. This revives their 2024 PBM collaboration amid midterm healthcare affordability debates.

Escalating Healthcare Consolidation Crisis

Healthcare consolidation surged after 2000, placing seven conglomerates in the Fortune 20, none present two decades prior. UnitedHealth Group dominates as America’s largest healthcare firm and top doctor employer. PBMs like Optum Rx, CVS Caremark, and Express Scripts process 80% of claims. Ownership by insurers enables steering to affiliates, kickbacks, and exclusion of independent pharmacies. By 2022, 97% of metro areas faced highly concentrated hospital markets. Over 75% of doctors now work for hospitals, insurers, or private equity, eroding competition and inflating costs for families.

Bipartisan Alliance Against Profits Over People

Warren demands breaking up conglomerates to end their stranglehold on costs. Hawley condemns Big Pharma and insurers gobbling providers, insisting working Americans deserve better. Rep. Greg Murphy calls to shatter UnitedHealthcare into pieces. This unlikely progressive-Trump ally duo leverages populist frustration. Trump-era executive orders previously targeted PBM middlemen. Recent appropriations added PBM rules, aligning with President Trump’s America First pushback against corporate greed harming everyday citizens.

Industry resists, with CVS Health’s David Joyner claiming vertical models benefit consumers. Advocates like American Economic Liberties Project highlight monopolies driving price hikes and service declines.

Potential Wins for Families and Independents

Short-term, the bill forces PBM divestitures from insurers and pharmacies, enabling lawsuits and penalties while boosting independent pharmacies. Long-term, it slashes double-dipping, cuts drug and visit costs, and revives competition. Consumers gain lower bills amid lingering inflation from prior fiscal mismanagement. Doctors and nurses report improved care without corporate interference, as seen in post-acquisition staffing crises. State proposals ban corporate doctor ownership, setting broader antitrust precedents.

This bipartisan effort counters government-enabled overreach by healthcare behemoths, protecting individual liberty to access affordable care without middleman exploitation. President Trump’s administration continues dismantling similar barriers, prioritizing American workers over globalist corporate interests.