November 1, 2020 Recent News

Healthcare

Hospitals

Healthcare

The AMA, AHA and ANA have sent a joint letter to the administration against their executive order that states there is not any implicit racial or sexual bias in healthcare.  This actually for bids the taking of historical biases into account and will allow more people to bid on contacts and to treat employees equally.  There would be no affirmative action.  All good things for me.

The left coast sticks together.  The four left west states have siad they will review any Covid vaccine independently of the FDA even though they have no expertise.        Top

Hospitals

California has named four hospital systems that have delayed transfers due to insurance status against the EMTALA law.  They are Sharp Healthcare in San Diego, Loma Linda University, Prime Healthcare and Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.  Other hospitals had been overrun with Covid patients and needed to transfer patients and needed to transfer patients to other hospitals which delayed the transfers until they could be assured they would be paid by the insurers or the state at good rates.

The University of Virginia has said it would change its policies of going after patients who owe them money for care.  They have not. The Virginia state health system is continuing to sue and place liens on homes so when a heir sells or refinances the University gets paid plus 6% per annum allowed under Virginia law.  This makes the amount taken from the heirs often much more than originally owed.  It's easy.  All they have to do is file against a person not a property and the Title Companies will not transfer title until the lien is paid.  UVA also sues for more than an insurer would have paid.

Chicago is losing its 14th hospital in the last 20 years.  Mercy Hospital is the latest to call it quits as they have announced their closing in 2021.  

California's Alameda County has done what no county should ever do. They are interfering with the hospitals under their control.  They have fired the the members of the board of trustees that run the hospitals.  In essence they have caved to the unions who want more say.  Another California Board of Stupes has done this and it led to the closure of MLK Hospital in Los Angeles.  Politics and medicine really do not mix well.

Speaking of mixing, Intermountain Healthcare is merging with Sanford Health.  the former is in Utah and the latter in South Dakota.  This will close in 2021 with the physician president of Intermountain being the CEO of the new system.  This will be 70 hospitals and for now employ over 80,000 people.

The Maine Nurses Union does not like Calais Regional Hospital and have called for the firing of its CEO.  About 17% of the staff nurses signed a petition to get Rod Boula fired.  They criticize him for not updating them on the bankruptcy they are currently in and for spending all of $8000 per bargaining session even though the union has agreed to continue the prior contract.  Maybe the hospital wants to pay less due to the bankruptcy.        Top

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 DISCLAIMER: Although this article is updated periodically, it reflects the author's point of view at the time of publication. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Readers should consult with their own legal counsel before acting on any of the information presented.