Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini has a message for Washington, as the uncertainty over health care reform continues.
Bertolini discussed the Hartford-based health insurer鈥檚 big rise in second quarter profits on CNBC, and he was asked about the health care reform effort.
鈥淭he bottom line is that the Senate cannot repeal Obamacare -- all they can do is fix it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think once we get to a solution where we say we want to fix it, then we get bipartisan support.鈥�
After the collapse of the Senate鈥檚 various efforts to repeal or replace the law, President Donald Trump threatened to remove cost-sharing subsidies for customers on the exchanges, calling them bailouts for the insurance industry.
鈥淭he only people who get hurt are the members and the citizens of the United States who won鈥檛 get health care as a result,鈥� said Bertolini. 鈥淪o, these aren鈥檛 bailouts for the insurance company. We don鈥檛 keep that money -- it goes directly to providers. It goes directly to pay for premiums for members, so I think it鈥檚 misinformed.鈥�
Bertolini pledged that if the Affordable Care Act is stabilized, Aetna will return to participate in the exchanges.
