Health care costs are "a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett says, and now his firm is teaming up with Amazon and JPMorgan Chase to create a new company with the goal of providing high-quality health care for their U.S. employees at a lower cost.
The new company will be "free from profit-making incentives and constraints" as it tries to find ways to cut costs and boost satisfaction with the health care plan for employees of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. The trio unveiled their new venture in a news release.
"The initial focus of the new company will be on technology solutions that will provide U.S. employees and their families with simplified, high-quality and transparent healthcare at a reasonable cost," the companies said.
The enterprise unites three of the largest and most envied companies in their respective sectors — from retail to banking, and including Berkshire's wide portfolio of companies such as Geico and Fruit of the Loom. And in Buffett, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon, the companies also have veteran leaders who have shown an ability to solve vexing business problems.
According to recent annual reports, taken together the three companies employ more than 950,000 people worldwide.
The three CEOs say they're aware of the enormous challenges they face.