HCA's Finances Sour -- "more bad news to come"

OT for a breather:

I think the Subway is fine, it's Safeway who is in trouble!

 

Perhaps. But one thing is certain -- the ABC has nothing to worry about!

 

Once again, hospitals do not compare to Subways. Get some maps that show population density around existing hospitals and at least keep the debate worthwhile.

 

Like a rotten breath out of a dead man's corpse, comes forth the latest prosaic post from our neighbor in the Farm. Response: Email her and ask her yourself. I have not heard from killerbee in a while; why don't you contact him while you are at it? Also, Vishnu, God, and Allah have not spoken out in a while either about the HCA issue, so why don't you fire off some emails to Them, too?[:I]

Wick: I'm not sure how I can even begin respond to your latest comments. How can anyone compare a subshop to a hospital? The mental gyrations must be excruciating! Opening a hospital is not like opening up a subshop -- you have heard about Certificates of Public Need, regulatory agencies, etc. Also, the last time I checked, Subway hadn't defrauded the taxpaying citizens of America (that includes you if you actually live here) out of more money than could fit into Safeway!

 

You're right -- it's extremely difficult trying to reason with certain people on this board (but I'm not pointing any fingers, of course). Sometimes logic doesn't break through to the hate and demise that some people are spewing on this board.

You can try to spin it anyway you want, but it's still free enterprise. I'll admit that a subshop is clearly different than a hospital, but both are based on the same premise -- free enterprise. That's my point. It's not up to you, it's up to the system. I'll admit I'm wrong if you show my why the free enterprise system doesn't apply to hospital in the Broadlands.

Also, Chris, please be consistent in your arguments. You have (many times) stated that you don't want the hospital in the Broadlands and this is a Broadlands issue only (further to this point, you have stated that you don't care about the MCI/Worldcom fraud since they are not located in the Broadlands). But your latest arguments are not Broadlands related. They are Ashburn/Eastern Loudoun related. Your recent claims that there is no need for a hospital, etc. (duplicative, etc.) are not isolated to the Broadlands area. That issue would be a larger issue that affects all of Ashburn and Eastern Loudoun since non-Broadlands residents would be using it. Have you changed your position? Is this issue bigger than the Broadlands? If so, why do you live with MCI/Worldcom? Why are you isolating HCA?

 

Wow, the response is very insightful! Truly, a strong emotional reaction, I guess I hit a nerve.

I must say, I've never been portrayed the way this post reflects. Some might demand a sensor, but I prefer to have it stay public and reflect it's true meaning. It says more about the author than the target.

 

An excellent article in the Denver Post:

http://www.denverpost.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,36%7E11676%7E2164693,00.html

Do a search on the word "Scully." It explains why HCA has been able to keep its past fraudulent activities out of the press recently. So, after defrauding the taxpayers for millions (billions?), HCA got one of its top supporters installed as the head of the agency that oversees healthcare in the U.S. Heck, why don't we have HCA build two fraud-filled hospitals in the Broadlands?

 

<article>

Thomas A. Scully
The former hospital lobbyist presided over an agency that helped a chain he once represented win a favorable settlement in a Medicare fraud case.

Thomas A. Scully represented the nation's for-profit hospitals as a lobbyist before being hired by the Bush administration in June 2001 to head the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Eight months after Scully arrived at the Medicare and Medicaid agency, it moved to settle final claims involving HCA Inc., a hospital chain that was the biggest member of Scully's former employer, the Federation of American Hospitals. HCA Inc. faced allegations it fraudulently overbilled the government for Medicare cases.

Under the terms agreed to in June 2002 by Scully's agency, HCA would have settled for $250 million. Medicare fraud cases typically are ironed out with Justice Department participation, but Scully agreed to those terms on his own, said John R. Phillips, an attorney who represented whistle-blowers in the case.

"The $250 million was a total sellout by Scully, who totally negotiated it behind Justice's back," Phillips said.

It also was handled in a way that protected the company from a full review of its cost reports and the triple- damage civil fines that can be imposed in fraud cases, he said.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, asked Justice in October 2002 if that deal was "too lenient."

Justice delayed the settlement until June 2003.

HCA, the nation's biggest for-profit hospital company, eventually paid that $250 million, plus $631 million in civil penalties and damages and $17.5 million to states.

Scully's ethics agreement did not require him to officially avoid cases involving HCA. But Scully said he steered clear.

"I recused myself from everything involving HCA-specific issues or policy and was not involved in any way, shape or form," Scully said. "Every time anything came up (regarding) HCA, I left it to my deputies."

But Grassley in a June 25, 2002, letter to a Justice Department lawyer said comments by Scully "have given me great concern that there is an active, ongoing effort underway to change or modify enforcement (on Medicare fraud) policy that in my view could significantly undermine the (law)."

Scully has since left the administration for consulting jobs with a lobbying firm and an investment company that represent Medicare providers.

</article>

This is a really disturbing trend in Government and it is very telling that Scully is no longer a Fed and back to consulting. I for one do not believe that Scully had nothing to do with that sweet deal HCA got. However, this really doesn't reflect on HCA but rather on Bush. Any company faced with that kind of a deal will take it. The problem there is up the food chain.

 

Homer I agree with you. In my opinion, this is more of a reflection of "today's" relationship between corporate America and Government. Every industry has situations like this. I certainly don't see it having a unique effect on business in Loudoun County, much less a hospital.

 

[ignoring] flynnibus's "anything close to a personal attack" in flagrant defiance of the Admin's polite and courteous request to halt these postings</u> [/ignoring]

The relevance of the Denver Post's article to this issue is found in the fact that all politics is local. HCA has proven itself to be the type of company that will manipulate the system to come out ahead. How can that help our community and healthcare access in general? If it does help our community, then why don't we knock down Safeway, the Circle K, and even some of the existing homes in the Broadlands to make room for not just one, but two, three, four, or more HCA hospitals.