Opinion: CareFirst dispute shines light on issues caused by insurance monopoly

A contract dispute between Maryland’s world-renowned and award-winning hospital system, Johns Hopkins, and insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, concerns everyone, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Structural problems with the health insurance system are at the root of this dispute, and it’s time we had a conversation about health insurance concentration in Maryland. MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, has raised concerns about the Maryland health insurance market for years. Several years ago, we proposed legislation simply requesting a study of the insurance concentration in the state, which did not even receive a vote due to CareFirst’s opposition.