Sunday, December 21, 2008

Why Shouldn't Patients Pay 14% More for Their Healthcare?

Especially when it's all in the name of quality?
In early 2007 Partners kicked the Beverly doctors out of its network. It said that because the local hospital was referring some patients needing advanced care to non-Partners hospitals, it could no longer ensure quality. The administrators said they weren't being disloyal and only turned to other hospitals for help on tough cases when Partners' teaching hospitals wouldn't.

Some members of the Beverly medical staff saw a different motivation for Partners' action. They believe Beverly Hospital was getting in the way of Partners' expansion.
Read it. All of it. This battle is coming to a metropolitan area near you.

Never mind that Massachusetts can't pay its healthcare bill.

-Wes

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wes,

Very timely post. Any more proof that medicine has become a buisness run by buisness people? But you know what? Buisness people can't legally practice medicine, so it is our own fault for turning over the reins of these big hospital systems to people who thrive on power and money.

By the way, do you know of any similar examples in the Chicago area?