For Profit or For Patient - Hard to Have Both

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A Good Day To Advocate for Better Healthcare

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Mission Hospital - Asheville, NC

HCA Healthcare, Inc. owns and operates 182 hospitals and approximately 2,200 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, free standing emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics in 21 states and the United Kingdom. Last year they made about $3.75 billion in net profit after all expenses.

You may remember the unapologetic ex-Governor of Florida and current Senator was CEO of HCA when it was found to have engaged in criminal Medicare and Medicaid fraud and had to repay $2.3 billion to the US government.

HCA owns Mission Hospital in Asheville. They purchased it in 2019. With 682 licensed acute care beds, Mission is the state’s largest hospital west of Charlotte, serves tens of thousands of patients a year, and is the region’s only Level 2 trauma center.

Mission Hospital risks losing Medicare and Medicaid funding because of deficiencies in care that were so severe, state inspectors concluded last month, that they “posed immediate jeopardy to patients’ health and safety.

Immediate jeopardy is rare, according to a 2021 study from the National Library of Medicine, which reviewed 30,808 hospital deficiencies between 2007-2017. Only 2.4 percent or 730 of those resulted in immediate jeopardy, according to the study.

Failure to correct the deficiencies could threaten the financial viability of the hospital system. The majority of patients in Western North Carolina are on Medicare, Medicaid or uninsured.

The state’s investigation found nine incidents over 19 months that highlighted deficiencies in care and states that “the hospital nursing staff failed to provide a safe environment for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) by failing to accept patients on arrival, resulting in lack of or delays with triage, assessments, monitoring, and implementation of orders, including labs and telemetry.

“ED nursing staff failed to assess, monitor and evaluate patients to identify and respond to changes in patient conditions,” the letter states. “The hospital staff failed to ensure qualified staff were available to provide care and treatment for patients who arrived in the ED. The cumulative effects of these practices resulted in an unsafe environment for ED patients.”

Union nurses at Mission and doctors who have left the system after HCA purchased it in 2019 say that the hospital corporation has purposefully understaffed the hospital and gutted it of resources, leading to risks and patient harm. Some nurses on long shifts were responsible for as many as 40 patients, walking 12 miles/day at work. Doctors also complained about shortages of sterile supplies for surgery.

A host of doctors worked at Mission because it had been a non-profit hospital and their student debts would be repaid in exchange for 10 years of service. Many were half way through when HCA (a for profit company) purchased the hospital. That debt forgiveness stopped and doctors took off.

We have often written about what happens when healthcare is the vehicle to generate profits. When the need to increase profits stands between patients and doctors then patients suffer.

If hospitals knew that their infrastructure costs, including salaries, were covered then they wouldn’t have to cut corners to make profits. If the hospital were paid fairly to earn a fair profit for treating those that need care then they wouldn’t have to cut corners to make profits. If all of us had insurance to be able to go to the hospital then the hospital wouldn’t have a large number of unpaid bills.

Good News!!! Universal Healthcare, like HR 3421, does all of that. Let’s let our representatives know.

Here is a link to the full story for reference.

ACTION

Let’s let Congress know what is going on and that they can fix it.

You can send them an email or call, their contact info is in the Resources section or you can text SIGN PHVTLB to 50409 to send the email below.

“I am your constituent and I want you to know that one of the largest hospitals in North Carolina, Mission Hospital is in trouble. The State of North Carolina has determined they pose immediate jeopardy to patients’ health and safety. This is because HCA America purchased the non profit hospital and cut so many corners to make money for their investors quickly that they are now a risk to patient’s health.

If their infrastructure costs, including salaries, were covered then they wouldn’t have to cut corners to make profits. Global budgets would cover them. Universal Healthcare, like HR 3421, would do that. with Universal Healthcare they would be paid fairly to earn a fair profit. Moreover, all of us would have insurance and they would be paid for treating everyone.

Profit would no longer be the impediment to care. You can fix it - I want you to support and pass Universal Healthcare HR 3421.

RESOURCES

Healthcare Advocacy (Us)

Website

Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare

Healthcare Advocacy Reading List

Find My Elected Officials

Contact the White House  https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Contact State and Federal Representatives

• By phone: (202) 224-3121

• By email: democracy.io

• https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Important Healthcare Resources

League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit

Organizations to Contact

National Nurses United Medicare4All

Physicians for a National Health Program

One Payer States

Healthcare Now

Reproductive Health

NARAL - Pro Choice America

Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion

Planned Parenthood

Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.

United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.

Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.

If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org

Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do

Appeal a Healthcare Decision

Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill

Disinformation Management

Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency

Library of Advice

Specific Advice

Save Democracy

Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens

RESISTBOT

Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more

Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water RESISTBOT write up

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