Saving Lives, Losing Millions at Hospital (bush* healthcare disaster)

[diamond14]

Saving Lives, Losing Millions at Pr. George's Hospital
With Few Paying Patients, Center Is Caught in Its Own Death Spiral

By Brigid Schulte
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 22, 2003; Page A01

Prince George's Hospital Center is caught in a death spiral, as are virtually all other nonprofit community or public hospitals in America where the poor and uninsured -- 43.6 million by the latest count -- go to be healed.

Across the country, 293 public hospitals converted to private, for-profit ventures from 1985 to 1995. An additional 185 closed.

In this area, D.C. General Hospital was shut down by the city two years ago. Greater Southeast Community Hospital, now in its second bankruptcy, lost its accreditation for four months and the city nearly yanked its license for providing poor care. And public hospitals are not the only ones in trouble. Nationally, one-third aren't breaking even.

With so many indigent or government-insured patients -- along with their own rising malpractice insurance premiums -- physicians such as Willie Blair say they simply can't make a go of it at Prince George's. Uninsured patients may pay them nothing. And Medicaid and Medicare don't come close to covering their costs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20300-2003Dec21.html

[jamesinca]

1. And this is why we need everybody covered

Not just those with jobs, but everybody. Even those that work at Wal-Mart. It is an investment in our country, it is a social program that needs to be there. We are all part of this country and when one of us dies or gets hurt, we all die or get hurt. Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee!!!!

[SoCalDem]

2. My grandmother died in a Catholic hospital , years ago

and they did not even send a bill until a month later.. The staff there believed that when someone died, it was the decent thing to do.. They believed that there was plenty of time for the bill paying stuff after the person had been buried, and the family had a little time to grieve..

Today, they practically accost you in the parking lot to sign this and sign that, and photocopy everything you have in your wallet.

I know things are different now, but the big question...WHY do they NEED to be..??

[rooboy]

3. I live in a state that was run by ultra-conservatives for 20 years...

and THEY set up a hospital system where any member of the public can walk in and get treated FREE OF CHARGE. It doesn't matter if you have a cold or cancer. And that's just our state. Nationally we have a medicare system that covers about half of any visits I make to a private physician.

How a successful country can have such a poor healthcare system is beyond me. Privatised medicine should be an option, not a policy.

[JaySherman]

4. With the possibility of biological terrorist attacks...

We are leaving ourselves open for a tragedy of epic proportions if we let our medical system fall apart. You would think part of homeland security would be making sure everyone had adequate and affordable access to health care in case a virus, for example, was released on U.S. soil. Unfortunately, the nobles have mdae it quite clear the don't care one iota what happens to the peasant masses.

:mad:

[Bob3]

5. Heck never mind Terrorist Attacks - a natural pandemic would do it

I shudder to think of what would happen in this country if something like the 1918 influenza hit - between the lousy health care system and the huge number of people who don't paid if they are out sick (thank you Walmart) we could have a huge disaster on our hands.

[The Zanti Regent]

6. Why the RepubliKKKans would say it is God's Will

If you die with no insurance, the Nazi Party says that's YOUR fault because you were too lazy.

[Fovea]

9. PING PING PING>>>> Give that man a panatella!

I cannot imagine all these supposed arch conservatives have not read Mill's essay on the consequences of ignoring the poor and infirm.

[damnraddem]

10. Let's face it:

today's GOP IS a pandemic -- well, sure, an annatural pandemic, but a pandemic all the same.

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. I have had my concerns that Americans lack of access ro HealthCare

. . could lead to a disaster of unrealized proportions.

What with over 40 Million (that's twice the population of Iraq) UNinsured citizens, and ever-increasing International travel and product transportation, the Reality of a major outbreak of some uncontrollable disease looms closer day by day.

Old saying about "fixing your own house first" - something like that, but the American Administration seems bent on spending 100's of BILLIONS of dollars tryna "fix" the rest of the world, while their own citizens languish in poverty and poor Health Care.

Time for the United States Voters/Taxpayers to take their country back !!

[bemildred]

8. Yes. People have forgotten why public health systems were

created in the first place. It is somewhat ironic that the
AMA fought"socialized medicine" tooth and nail back in the
old days, and now they are getting screwed by the resulting
mess too.

[damnraddem]

11. They didn't just fight Medicare and Medicaid.

Before the Great Depression, they fought private health insurance. They finally bought into Blue Shield only because it was to be strictly fee-for-service, paying charges as billed. The AMA has never been able to see what would hurt them most, always opposing reforms that might have averted the worse messes the U.S. has found itself in when reforms didn't pass.