Supreme Court gives gift to Bill Frist.

[spanone]

Bill Frist, who is enriched by a blind trust from Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), was given a gift today by the Supreme Court. By ruling that you can only sue an HMO in federal court, the supremes have guaranteed fewer payouts and less compassion in HMO lawsuits. Once again corporate America rules! The rich get richer and the poor get fucked. http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/06/21/hmos/index.html

[gmoney]

1. Shameless...

Guess the HMOs will now be denying everything but generic aspirin...

"Yeah, you don't like it? Sue me... oh, you can't!"

[fdr_hst_fan]

2. Frist

(or a not-so-well-off member of his family) should have to use an HMO; the tune he'd be singing then wouldn't pass for "God Bless America"!

[hang a left]

3. That is something I hadn't thought of since this story broke in LBN today.

Now they can deny any type of treatment they want. OMG. This is really bad.

[spanone]

4. a unanimous decision: big bonus for HMO's

Not one supreme court justice spoke on behalf of the common guy. So who won? Large Business.

[Pobeka]

5. This one is as bad as it gets.

Your doctor says you need a $100,000 treatment or you'll die.

HMO says "no".

a) You have $100,000 and pay for the treatment yourself, sue the HMO for out of pocket expenses, and it's not clear you can win because the HMO will argue you didn't need the treatment in the first place (after all you're not dead after the treatment!)

b) You don't have $100,000. You die. Who can your family sue?
-- no one.

There is absolutely no incentive now for the HMO to pay for high-cost treatments anymore.

[donhakman]

6. Don't forget Dick Armey

slipped the provision of limited liability into a bill at 3AM without any approval or knowledge of the Senate.

[Deja Q]

7. How much worse is it going to get?

Will Americans finally fight back at some point?

Or leave in disgust, depriving this country of tax dollars it needs to fund its military and elected officials who get great perks, both on the job and once they leave office? (oh, what they get is sickening and another reason why they blindly support corporations. Anyone who gets into office gets a free ride for life.)

This is getting more outrageous by the day.