Rich hospitals, poor hospitals (Do Not Resuscitate #358) Aug 9 2024

This week on “Do Not Resuscitate (This System”), your round-up of how we spend trillions of dollars making intermediaries rich instead of making ourselves healthier, I look at the two-tiered hospital system evolving: on the one hand, prosperous Godzillas (including pseudo-nonprofits), and on the other, collapsing smaller, rural, or independent outfits that serve regular folks and can’t compete as businesses (which, incidentally, they shouldn’t have to).

You can get my full written digest by writing to me at tfrasca@yahoo.com and the back archive is hosted at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news-archive

Here are links to all the articles mentioned in the podcast: 

Tina Reed, “Gulf widens between rich and poor hospitals,” Axios, Aug 6, 2024 https://bit.ly/3YCf0t4

Andrew R. Jones, “‘They must leave’: Coalition begins push for HCA to relinquish Mission,” Asheville Watchdog, Jul 27, 2024 https://bit.ly/3YAMCHv

Susanna Vogel, “State healthcare cost caps could further pressure hospital operating margins,” Healthcare Dive, Jun 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WVauob

Elisabeth Rosenthal, “Why many nonprofit (wink, wink) hospitals are rolling in money,” KFF Health News/Washington Post, Jul 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/4ddyetm

Taylor Sisk, “Closing of rural hospitals leaves towns with unhealthy real estate,” KFF Health News/USA Today, Jun 26, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WzITHz

Dietrich Knauth, “Massachusetts warns of health crisis amid Steward hospital sale delay,” Reuters, Jul 31, 2024 https://reut.rs/3ylb0T1

Gretchen Morgenson, “After private equity takes over hospitals, they are less able to care for patients, top medical researchers say,” NBC News, Jul 31, 2024 https://nbcnews.to/3LWrOTl

Susanna Vogel, “Steward will lay off more than 1,200 workers in Massachusetts,” Healthcare Dive, Aug 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cbLHAw

Steve Leblanc, “Massachusetts Senate approved bill intended to strengthen health care system,” Associated Press, Jul 18, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yxLPwp

[Editorial], “Health care consolidations: Bad for your health and wallet,” Dallas Morning News, Jul 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Acl6WJ

Katy Golvala, “Another lawsuit alleges Hartford HealthCare stifled competition,” CT Mirror, Jun 25, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WXoOvh

Heather Landi, “TowerBrook, CD&R take health tech company R1 RCM private in $8.9B deal,” Fierce Healthcare, Aug 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3AdhdB1

Alex Weprin, “New York’s largest hospital system is setting its sights on the entertainment business,” Hollywood Reporter, Jul 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3LORlhj

Marty Makary, “Medicare’s crazy payment system is creating monopolies in health care,” Washington Post, Jul 8, 2024 https://wapo.st/3WViPIy

Susanna Vogel, “North Carolina to offer enhanced Medicaid funds to hospitals that help eliminate medical debt,” Healthcare Dive, Jul 31, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WWW8Ul

Jeff Amy, “Former Georgia insurance commissioner sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to health care fraud,” Associated Press, Jul 13, 2024 https://bit.ly/3SBYHZe

Avni Gupta, Sara R. Collins, Shreya Roy & Relebohile Masitha, “Unforeseen health care bills and coverage denials by health insurers in the U.S.,” Commonwealth Fund, Aug 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/46He20n