You probably haven't heard -- at least not lately -- that some of the biggest health insurers are moving full steam ahead to merge with each other, which means that tens of millions of us -- yes, millions -- will be affected next year. And not in a good way.

Folks, we are guilty of magical thinking. We've fallen for insurers' deception and misdirection, hook, line and sinker. And many of us can't be persuaded that we are being duped. Meanwhile, the shareholders of the big for-profits are laughing all the way to the bank. Every single day.

Federal regulators are being watched closely as they decide how to respond to two big health insurance deals currently on the table in the United States.

The relentless hyperinflation of drug prices needs to end, but it won't happen without major changes in policy. Some actions or proposals have included (but are definitely not limited to):