[quote=no_such_reality] . . . Frankly, Aetna was a non-competitive bit player in the private insurance market having less than a 5% market share.[/quote]

NSR, Aetna IS a giant. It just lost most of its in individual market share in CA since 2011 because it has always been more picky on who it underwrites. It is NOT more expensive for those who take care of themselves but it is more expensive for the masses, thus, so many CA individual policyholders left Aetna in recent years and signed up elsewhere after getting repeated rate hikes … as I did. Aetna is nationwide … and believe it or not, a LOT of states have a “perceived” overall healthier population than CA … at least perceived through the eyes of insurance companies. Almost ALL of Aetna’s CA rate hikes since 2010 (and probably other health insurance companies as well) have been due to the fact that they couldn’t deny coverage at will … like they had been doing for years.

Believe it or not, it is NOT WORTH it for insurance companies to even collect a $1100, $1500 or $2100 a month premium on a LOT of “guaranteed-issue” new sign-ups.

I’m not stumping for insurance carriers here … just stating facts.

Now, they will actually have to cover members of this population for as little as ~$550 per month (most of whom will have tax credits to pay most of the premium)!

I haven’t checked which companies in the exchange will be administering the Medi-Cal plans but it is my understanding that the Medi-Cal masses will be waiting for the same care in the same waiting rooms as the self-insureds and employer-insureds.

Currently, the Medi-Cal masses, for the most part, use their own community clinics for office visits.