Originally Posted by MandoMan
(Post 2054205)
Ted Kennedy was for decades the chief senate proponent of socialized medicine. He also had a hand in various bills that affected hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and health insurance companies. He did a lot of good, even though he wasn’t able to accomplish his goals. However, he was also a politician, with all the bad things that entails. Back in the 70s he had a “fact-finding mission” that traveled around the country holding meetings at hospitals. At the time, my dad was the head chaplain at an excellent church-affiliated hospital in Denver (now part of the AdventHealth system). He was also on the hospital administrative committee, so he was involved in preparation for Kennedy’s visit and in the room while Kennedy was “finding facts” by interrogating administrators while the press watched and snapped photos. My dad felt that Kennedy had no interest in “finding facts,” but was simply seeking publicity and trying to further his agenda. My dad felt that Kennedy seriously misrepresented the hospital, asked unfair questions, and put well-intentioned answers in the worst light. Granted, this seems to be the case with many such meetings held by legislators. They often seem to know the answers they want to hear. As committee chair in the Senate, Kennedy didn’t SIGN these health bills, but he did have to sign off on such bills before they were presented to the entire Senate by the committee.
Health care legislation is difficult partly because of massive lobbying efforts by pharmaceutical companies, the AMA, hospitals, and insurance companies. They all want to protect their profits. One of the effects of Kennedy’s work was that hospitals stopped charging set fees for surgeries and other procedures and began itemizing everything used and billing piece by piece. I was working in an O.R. when that began, and I remember how much extra work it caused the circulating nurses who had to list everything used. I don’t think it saved any money. Hospitals and doctors soon learned how to use the system to maximize income. Similarly, pharmaceutical companies gained the right to advertise drugs, but then a few years later, new regulations required the companies to list side effects in ads—as fast as possible. It’s a constant war between government and businesses trying to make more money. Oh, and we can also throw into the mixture lawyers who promise to find malpractice where none exists and get you a big payout. I’m on the side of the consumer, usually, but I’m also on the side of doctors and hospitals, and I also make money from profits from pharmaceutical companies through my retirement investments.
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