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What do you feel is the side that private hospitals take on reform?
Private Hospitals Opinion on Health Reform
- Thread starter bluemarlin08
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Seems to me Washington is clamping down on not for profit hospitals more than for profit.
Depending on how much of the population shifts over to Medicare/Medicaid/SCHIP plans will determine how much further in the red they will go. Those patients are money losers.
Depending on how much of the population shifts over to Medicare/Medicaid/SCHIP plans will determine how much further in the red they will go. Those patients are money losers.
Not for profit hospitals are probably looking forward to it. Face it, they take care of a lot of people who have no insurance and never pay their bill. If these people can sign a form in the ambulance on the way in, and the hospital can get paid for treating them, the hospital comes out ahead of the nothing they get now.
Always follow the money. It's an easy thing to see in this case.
Dan
Always follow the money. It's an easy thing to see in this case.
Dan
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I had lunch yesterday with an executive from one of the nations largest private hospital group and asked this question, they are for a plan like medicare. Even though it will drive prices down, they feel they will do much more volume and get paid.
The NFP hospitals are being audited by the IRS to make sure they donate the required level of care to maintain their NFP status. They are also getting beat up for trying to collect from those who have the ability to pay but simply refuse to do so.
If we go to a Medicare for all type of approach, it will be interesting to see just how long it lasts and how well it works, or doesn't. As it currently stands, shortfalls in funding from M/M patients are made up by private pay patients who have insurance. If private insurance is no more there is nowhere else to shift the financial burden.
For sure, uncompensated care will diminish (but never go completely away), but will the gain from moving more from uninsured roll offset the losses sustained on M/M patients?
Interesting enough, Congress has wanted to cut provider payments for the last 3 years but each time bends to pressure from lobbyists. Right now M/M payments are scheduled to be cut by 21% in 2010. If that happens, wonder how many of those cheering for more government involvement in the health care system will still feel the same?
If we go to a Medicare for all type of approach, it will be interesting to see just how long it lasts and how well it works, or doesn't. As it currently stands, shortfalls in funding from M/M patients are made up by private pay patients who have insurance. If private insurance is no more there is nowhere else to shift the financial burden.
For sure, uncompensated care will diminish (but never go completely away), but will the gain from moving more from uninsured roll offset the losses sustained on M/M patients?
Interesting enough, Congress has wanted to cut provider payments for the last 3 years but each time bends to pressure from lobbyists. Right now M/M payments are scheduled to be cut by 21% in 2010. If that happens, wonder how many of those cheering for more government involvement in the health care system will still feel the same?
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I think we will see a lot of mergers with the hospitals.
With the health reform they are going to make less. The hospitals are that are running in the red right now will need new leadership to come in and turn them around.
In my city there are two hospital networks that are going to get bought up by more efficient ones.
The IT requirements that all hospitals are going have to install will be a major burden for the smaller hospitals.
Its also coming to light on how a lot of the hospitals "under bill" so that they can charge more for a procedure. Under bill is when they use a in patient hospital code for an outpatient facility charge so they can make 40% more. The smaller hospitals are notorious for these kinds of charges.
With the health reform they are going to make less. The hospitals are that are running in the red right now will need new leadership to come in and turn them around.
In my city there are two hospital networks that are going to get bought up by more efficient ones.
The IT requirements that all hospitals are going have to install will be a major burden for the smaller hospitals.
Its also coming to light on how a lot of the hospitals "under bill" so that they can charge more for a procedure. Under bill is when they use a in patient hospital code for an outpatient facility charge so they can make 40% more. The smaller hospitals are notorious for these kinds of charges.
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The NFP's are enormous money makers and operate a lot like private universities. They have huge endowments are are inevitable going to take a hit with health reform. Everyone is going to take a hit and the more the hospitals talk, the more they are backtracking as they realize what some of this change will mean to their bottom line.
In my local paper over the weekend, they asked if people would support higher taxes to pay for universal health insurance. 75% answered no. A battle looms...
In my local paper over the weekend, they asked if people would support higher taxes to pay for universal health insurance. 75% answered no. A battle looms...
I suppose, if you are Emory.
Not so for Grady, the local taxpayer funded charity hospital. Even some of the hospitals with religious affiliations are not doing so well. Many of the Catholic hospitals are suffering because patient load is down as are subsidies from the diocese. They have trouble collecting as well, even from those with insurance who stiff them on the deductible & OOP.
Oh, and in case you missed it. Universities are having cash problems as well.
Maybe it is different in your world.
Harvard seems to have lost more than 22% of their endowment funds in the recent market crash. Although it may yet be higher, since they use some private money mgrs who have yet to have reported some of the losses...
Total loss of more than 8 Billion. Ouchy. And one would think that these are some of the best and brightest, wouldn't you...?
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