>
> Now, folks on the list bemoan the fact that "public money"
> now going to Medicaid might go to private medicine under
> Bradley's plan. Guess what-- Medicaid already largely goes
> to private for-profit hospitals and providers.
I'd really like to see some numbers that support this contention. I find it very difficult to believe. I bet most medicaid money goes to state/city/county charity hospitals and private non-profits. The for profit hospitals do not have to accept Medicaid and I bet most of them don't.
> Attached I have a release by the United Food and Commercial
> Workers which has been fighting union-busting Beverly
> enterprises at its nursing home chain. According to this
> release, Beverly received over 75% of its profits from
> Medicare and Medicaid. They apparently stole something on
> the order of $225 million -- probably more since they agreed
> to settle for that amount.
If Beverly is only in nursing homes, not hospitals, then they received almost nothing from Medicare as Medicare will not pay for long term care. Patients must spend themselves into destitution and then go on Medicaid to get coverage for nursing home care.
--
Joseph Noonan jfn1 at msc.com
Keep on rockin in the Free World(tm).