General Discussion

Flatulo

(5,005 posts)

23. Hospital conglomerates are a big part of the cost problem.

Sat Jun 1, 2013, 08:52 PM

Jun 2013

Once venture capital started buying up all the hospitals in a geographic region, and of course, paring the nursing staff to the bone (where will the money come from to pay off the principals), insurance companies lost a lot of negotiating power, since they were always dealing with the same people. There's no real competition when all the facilities are part of the same system.

Hospital conglomerates produce absolutely nothing but huge profits for the investors, and human misery for the employees and patients. When Vanguard bought up all our local hospitals, there was a bloodbath of epic proportions. Patient outcomes suffered terribly, until the nurse's unions struck to restore sane staffing levels.

You want some guy with a business degree dictating how many nurses are in your ward?

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Colonoscopies Explain Why U.S. Leads the World in Health Expenditures [View all] n2doc Jun 2013 OP

Yet many here are claiming the cost of healthcare is from people getting these tests BrotherIvan Jun 2013 #1

I dont believe ACA does much of anything to reduce costs davidn3600 Jun 2013 #21

Here, ProSense Jun 2013 #54

Excellent Article marions ghost Jun 2013 #2

Article really hits a nerve on medical care costs in US matt819 Jun 2013 #3

we need single payer healthcare. We need to force clinics and hospitals to disclose prices and liberal_at_heart Jun 2013 #4

You shouldn't shop around adieu Jun 2013 #18

Hospitals are charging hundreds of dollars for an aspirin. We need to be able to liberal_at_heart Jun 2013 #22

But that same hospital adieu Jun 2013 #24

then that needs to be part of the transparency. liberal_at_heart Jun 2013 #27

Holy shit! graywarrior Jun 2013 #5

Bad! ismnotwasm Jun 2013 #15

Thank you. Thank you very much. graywarrior Jun 2013 #19

those cats are in my FACE again Skittles Jun 2013 #45

Are you yelling or just excited to see me? graywarrior Jun 2013 #53

Healthcare in America is an industry - a profiteeering crime Rosa Luxemburg Jun 2013 #6

Guess how much it costs for a colonoscopy in Hong Kong, one of the most capitalistic places on earth 2bornot2b Jun 2013 #7

Talk about taking it up the.... SCVDem Jun 2013 #8

"Please roll up your sleeve and bend over." longship Jun 2013 #9

It's aliens, I tell ya. Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2013 #10

Bush brain scans are largely an unnecessary money maker meow2u3 Jun 2013 #11

BOHICA, literally. nt awoke_in_2003 Jun 2013 #12

i just cancelled my appt for one. Can't afford it. progressoid Jun 2013 #13

This just makes me sick. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #14

i'm 71 and never had one either and DesertFlower Jun 2013 #16

Great minds think alike. I've read flu shots may present a problem for "mature" folks. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #17

no history of breast cancer. i did get DesertFlower Jun 2013 #20

I'm not going to "flame" you, but I wll say this. Once I turned fifty, I had the procedure done SlimJimmy Jun 2013 #25

no history of colon cancer either and to be honest DesertFlower Jun 2013 #29

I can understand you desire to "not know" if anything is wrong. Many people I know have that SlimJimmy Jun 2013 #38

thank you for your kind words. DesertFlower Jun 2013 #39

My father thought looking out for his general health meant he didn't need to go to the liberal_at_heart Jun 2013 #32

I'm with you, just a little younger, 64. SheilaT Jun 2013 #26

I see your problem. Curmudgeoness Jun 2013 #31

Um, my friend fortunately had a mammogram... a la izquierda Jun 2013 #47

There are ALWAYS exceptions, but mammograms @ that age are NOT recommended Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #55

There is a risk associated with colonoscopies lunasun Jun 2013 #30

There is a risk of puncturing your colon Curmudgeoness Jun 2013 #34

They also don't sterilize between uses, they only disinfect. roamer65 Jun 2013 #37

What's the difference between sterilize and disinfect? (n/t) Jim Lane Jun 2013 #43

Steam and pressure that kills all bacteria and virus. roamer65 Jun 2013 #52

Damaging the colon, and risk from anesthesia, if they use that. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #56

thank you all & learned some things here I usually don't hear about lunasun Jun 2013 #64

There are families where entire generations of siblings have died of heritable colorectal cancer Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #49

Of course. The normal rules don't apply to those high risk cases. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #57

My dad died from colon cancer at 66 exboyfil Jun 2013 #51

You are in a high risk category. The normal rules don't apply to you. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #58

Hospital conglomerates are a big part of the cost problem. Flatulo Jun 2013 #23

Mind-boggling adric mutelovic Jun 2013 #28

My sister coded on a colonoscopy. Destroyed her liver AND kidneys. These are NOT benign tests riderinthestorm Jun 2013 #33

A colonoscopy definitely can be a double edge sword. roamer65 Jun 2013 #35

15 months post-op and she IS doing well!! Thanks!! nt riderinthestorm Jun 2013 #40

That's why it's always important to choose one's doctor carefully for any risky procedure Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #50

Cal Pacific Med Center in San Francisco. One of the best out there riderinthestorm Jun 2013 #72

What does "coded" mean? You mean it punctured her colon? Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #59

She died during the procedure. "Code blue" means an emergency resuscitation team is needed stat riderinthestorm Jun 2013 #71

Oh, no. I'm so sorry to hear that. Wow, that's scary. (shudder) Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #73

She had undiagnosed hemolytic anemia so she basically hemorrhaged as soon as they took 1st polyp riderinthestorm Jun 2013 #74

All those charges and healthcare groups still lose money. ileus Jun 2013 #36

I hope that by the time I have to have another one ThoughtCriminal Jun 2013 #41

Next time get prescribed SUPREP Submariner Jun 2013 #42

I've read there is now a virtual colonoscopy. I don't know if it's being used yet. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #60

As I understand it... ThoughtCriminal Jun 2013 #68

We thought there was no history of colon cancer in our family Sugarcoated Jun 2013 #44

so sorry about your sister, Sugarcoated Skittles Jun 2013 #46

Wow, your brother is extremely lucky. Sugarcoated Jun 2013 #62

definitely keep up with those checkups! Skittles Jun 2013 #70

There are less riskier, less invasive tests that are almost as good. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #61

It's not as risky as it's being discussed here Sugarcoated Jun 2013 #63

I have the fecal test, which finds cancer but not polyps. Honeycombe8 Jun 2013 #66

I avoided a colonoscopy for fifteen years Silver Swan Jun 2013 #67

I think this is for tax purposes and they can write off the difference as a "loss" cbdo2007 Jun 2013 #48

No, it wouldn't affect their taxes. Jim Lane Jun 2013 #65

I'm having a colonoscopy on Tuesday Cronus Protagonist Jun 2013 #69