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- HR676 - The Cure for For-Profit Medicine

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So what is the result when living in a country where money and corporations buy many politicians with their campaign contributions -  then scare off the rest by threatening to give to their opponents?  Why we get the  sort of healthcare system we have now.  We have corporate bureacrats worse than any government bureacrat imaginable: a government bureacrat at least is answerable to the politicians, who are answerable to the taxpayers; a corporate bureacrat is answerable to investors and shareholders - who will make sure management gets a bonus for NOT delivering healthcare.  Examples are not only dialysis clinics, but also hospitals, nursing  homes, and of course health insurance.

 

HR676 is a federal bill most known for attempting to bring about a single-payer type health insurance system - sort of a "medicare for all" - a system in which a single public or quasi-public agency organizes health financing, but delivery of care remains largely private.  However less advertised is the fact that for-profit entities like dialysis clinics would be required to convert to non-profits.  Many of us sincerely believe this would help take out the incentive to hurt the quality of care by using less qualified staff and shortening treatments.

 

So who are the people behind this bill?  Two of the politicians are John Conyers from Michigan and Dennis Kucinich from Ohio.  We can thank them and the  eighty-something cosponsors who believe in this bill.  If this is your first introduction to this bill, not only is this a bill that organizations like the Congressional Budget Office say would provide health insurance for everybody, save money, but as mentioned would also eliminate the for-profit motive in medicine where it is hurting the most vulnerable.  No more clinics run like an assembly line putting out the product (treatments) as fast as they can (infections soaring, mortality up) and keeping labor costs low (by running off RNs) - all for escalating costs.

 

This is the section of the bill those who have seen dialysis up close and personal would be interested in:

 

8 SEC. 103. QUALIFICATION OF PARTICIPATING PROVIDERS.
9 (a) REQUIREMENT TO BE PUBLIC OR NON-PROF10
IT.—
11 (1) IN GENERAL.—No institution may be a

12 participating provider unless it is a public or not-for

13 profit institution. Private physicians, private clinics,
14 and private health care providers shall continue to
15 operate as private entities, but are prohibited from
16 being investor owned.
17 (2) CONVERSION OF INVESTOR-OWNED PROVIDERS.

18—For-profit providers of care opting to participate

19 shall be required to convert to not-for-profit
20 status.
21 (3) PRIVATE DELIVERY OF CARE REQUIREMENT.

22—For-profit providers of care that convert to
23 non-profit status shall remain privately owned and
24 operated entities.

 

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