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Bob Herman covers health insurance, government programs, hospitals, physicians, and other providers — reporting on how money influences those businesses and shapes what we all pay for care. He is also the author of the Health Care Inc. newsletter. You can reach Bob on Signal at bobjherman.09.

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Tough talk, soft stance

A few months ago, President Trump confidently said he would be meeting with the country’s largest health insurance companies to pressure them to lower their premiums. The message was just that — a message to give the appearance that Trump officials were willing to crack down on health insurers, which have been at the center of Americans’ disdain of the health care system for decades.

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