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When I was trying to identify venues where our Congressional candidates could address relevant interest groups, I discovered, to my surprise, that any number of eleemosynary institutions who are active on behalf of poor people, including their health care needs, were reluctant to host political candidates, even in a forum, because doing so might jeopardize their relationship with health care providers, profit oriented and not-for-profit entities, who were providing support in the form of grants. In other words, from my perspective, charities had an interest in making sure that the poor stay poor.
This may not be a fair assessment, which is why I specify that it's my perspective. Also, it's a perspective that's not influenced by my current residency in Georgia. However, this story out of Georgia seems particularly relevant.
Exposing Huge Hidden Profits of A Non-Profit Hospital
By Joan Brunwasser
.....
Do No Harm is a documentary about two residents of a small Georgia town - a surgeon and an accountant - who blew the whistle on unethical practices going on at the local hospital, Phoebe Putney Memorial. The film is especially timely, given the current national debate on health care. I'm glad to have the film's producer and director, Rebecca Shanberg with me today. Welcome to OpEdNews, Rebecca. Where did the idea for this film come from?
One of my best friends from college was working for Kekst, the crisis PR firm that Dick Scruggs [class action lawyer who took on the tobacco industry] hired to help publicize his class action lawsuits against the non-profit hospitals.
....
MORE
Lisa Madigan, the Attorney General of the State of Illinois, introduced a showing of the documentary in this video:
This would seem to be an aspect of the health care problem that's not been adequately addressed. Though, whenever there's easy money to be made, as in an industry (medical insurance) that adds no value, we should probably expect to find crooks.
A most worth-while six and a half minutes, if your computer has video capability. AG Madigan's observations might even provide a basis for questions to NH's erstwhile AG Ayotte.
