Who's behind the attacks on a health care overhaul?
By Margaret Talev
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Much of the money and strategy behind the so-called grassroots groups organizing opposition to the Democrats' health care plans comes from conservative political consultants, professional organizers and millionaires, some of whom hold financial stakes in the outcome.
If President Barack Obama and Congress extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for it, and limit insurers' discretion on who they cover and what they charge, that could pinch these opponents.
Most of them say they oppose big government in principle. Despite Obama's assurances to the contrary, many of them insist that the Democrats' legislation is but the first step toward creation of a single-payer system, where the federal government hires the doctors, approves treatments, sets the rules and imperils profit.
(Continued here, with video.)
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Much of the money and strategy behind the so-called grassroots groups organizing opposition to the Democrats' health care plans comes from conservative political consultants, professional organizers and millionaires, some of whom hold financial stakes in the outcome.
If President Barack Obama and Congress extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for it, and limit insurers' discretion on who they cover and what they charge, that could pinch these opponents.
Most of them say they oppose big government in principle. Despite Obama's assurances to the contrary, many of them insist that the Democrats' legislation is but the first step toward creation of a single-payer system, where the federal government hires the doctors, approves treatments, sets the rules and imperils profit.
(Continued here, with video.)
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1 Comments:
Did you catch this tidbit ”Scott left his job as CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospitals during a federal Medicare fraud probe in 1997 that led to a historic $1.7 billion settlement. He wasn't prosecuted and got a golden parachute.”
The charges began to surface late in ‘93, when the U.S. General Accounting Office began to uncover a pattern of Medicare fraud involving Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). Throughout the decade, charges snowballed against the firm. Eventually HCA would emerge as arguably America’s most egregious corporate criminal, accused of having bilked U.S. taxpayers and the Medicare system out of billions of dollars. In a desperate effort to restore its good name, HCA would agree to three settlements between 2000 and 2003. Although several HCA officials were indicted, the settlement allowed HCA to escape further government action against it.
Why is this important ? Two reasons (besides the obvious that Rick Scott got away scot-free … sorry, couldn’t resist the pun).
#1. Policyholders paid the HCA settlement … not the shareholders like Senator Bill Frist (R-TN).
#2. On last week’s Meet The Press, which Frank Rich wrote about above, there was this interesting comment from SEN. COBURN : “The proposals before us really aren’t reform level. What they are is more of the same. Now, Rachel just mentioned about how efficient Medicare is. It’s not efficient. The fraud rate’s anywhere from 15 to 20 percent.”
Who’s making money on the fraud … the patients or the INSURANCE Industry ?
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