On the cusp of open enrollment season, consumers are concerned about the high costs impacting their access to healthcare, increasing medical debt, and the lack of mental health coverage, according to a new nationwide survey by Gravie and Wakefield Research. As long as profits are a priority, patients will continue to suffer.

Until 1973, federal law did not encourage health insurance providers from functioning under a profit motive. By the late 1990s, 80 percent of MCOs were for-profit organizations, and only 68 percent or less of insurance premiums went toward medical care. The remainder was paid for MCO executives’ and salespersons’ salaries. In retrospect, it was a huge mistake.