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Small Towns Watch Aging Hospitals Shutter

Posted: Mar 5, 2016

Saw this on PBS last night. My heart breaks for these small towns. In a lot of them, the hospital was the anchor. People have lost jobs, stores have closed, seniors have to travel hundreds of miles for health care. What has become of this country? More than 50 rural hospitals have closed since 2010 (during Okingme's reign) as well as many more community hospitals throughout the land.;

This is true. Have you noticed the thousands of (sm) - Olga

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walk-in clinics opening on practically every street corner? Seeing actual doctors is fast becoming a thing of the past. Now you can be treated at your local Walgreen's and just hope they have brains enough to refer you to a hospital (even though you may have to travel) when something is really wrong. Thanks Okingme. Another failure.

You really should watch the video you posted - or perhaps it is that old memory problem

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In the video toward the end--maybe you did not get that far--it says the hospitals are having trouble due to:
1. Medicare reimbursement cutbacks. Now, I bet you remember when the Republicans forced the budget sequestration by threatening to not raise the debt ceiling limit? This resulted in the budget sequestration cuts to Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals. Once again, the Pubs like services, but do not like to pay for them.
2. Hospitals in states that did not accept the expanded Medicaid reimbursement because of orneriness over Obamacare are in the worse trouble. What State you ask? Why Georgia is one, the one where this documentary is focused. So I guess you could blame it on Obamacare--or you could blame it on the George government stupidity.

IMHO, it is also due to a regionalization of hospital specialties. Patients want to have modern treatments and good doctors to perform surgeries, etc. The small hospitals cannot perform such comprehensive services and rural people are used to traveling to regional shopping areas, etc., for services.

^Someone^ needs to do their homework. - PM

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Google 'hospitals closing due to Obamacare'.

You probably won't like what you find.

You should probably read your own suggestions - really?

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so I Googled your choice of words. I found the usual Newsmax and WND (Right wing echo chambers that I automatically disregard as Republican propaganda). Picked one that wasn't and it said just what I said above. I suggest you read my post again that you pointed to.

Yeah, I knew you wouldn't like the truth. - LOL

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So predictable.

Why do I need to read Republican Echo Chamber - when the OP video

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The original PBS video explained it. I don't need the propaganda skew.

Gee, my memory is fine and I remember that it was Obama - Truthhurts

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who put sequestration in place. The Republicans stopped the cuts to Medicare payments.

None other than NBC’s David Gregory today pressed Obama’s chief economic advisor, Gene Sperling, whether his boss told the truth in the third presidential debate that “the sequester is not something that I’ve proposed. It is something that Congress has proposed.” Sperling finally wilted under the pressure of tough questioning to admit that “yes, in fact, the sequestration was President Obama’s plan.”

Sperling actually admitted nothing new as I chronicled in my With the Sequester, President Obama Argues With President Obama. Jack Lew, in his confirmation hearings, conceded on February 13 that the sequester originated in the White House. On Tuesday February 19, press spokesman Jay Carney admitted “The sequester was something that was discussed… and as has been reported, it was an idea that the White House put forward.”

Of course, these clear admissions that Obama parented the sequester are being furiously spun (The Republicans made him do it), but the words are not subject to misinterpretation. So it is true. Obama is fighting against his own program, while blaming his opponents! It can’t be clearer than that.

Despite this conclusive evidence that Obama himself proposed the sequester, the media sat on its hands as the President falsely excoriated the Republicans for originating and insisting on the sequester.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2013/03/03/white-house-admits-third-time-president-obama-fibbed-on-sequester/#438fe26a46b7

At issue is what the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, did and did not do.

Obamacare increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care physicians to Medicare levels—BUT ONLY FOR 2 YEARS, 2013 and 2014. So the cuts were to take place in 2015.

Republicans forced it through with threats of government default - remember

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how Republicans were playing chicken with the economy?

Republicans control budget and Congress - do something!

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besides voting to repeal Obamacare and defunding Planned Parenthood. What a waste of taxpayers money--supporting those do nothings.

Congress controls the budget, not just Republicans - Truthhurts

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When Dirty Harry was Majority Leader, nothing could get done at all. At least now, they get to vote on some things, but are still blocked because they don't have a 60 majority and Dirty Harry's hate for the Republicans still has some control, just like Nancy does in the House.

It's a shame the DemonRats refuse to be bipartisan. You can thank Dirty Harry, Nancy, and Obama for that. DemonRats were afraid of those three people and seems like some of them still are afraid. Some are crossing over and voting with Republicans on things that matter.

Obamacare does add to the problem - Medicare plus Medicaid

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Thirty years ago I worked in a small hospital and Medicare then already only reimbursed for part of the hospital bill. There were a fraction of people on Medicaid back then (we knew who they were - small town) - but the remainder of the patients had insurance or were private pay - now with the Medicaid expansion with Obamacare, there are a lot more people whose bill will only be reimbursed partially - leaving the hospital to absorb the cost of Medicare and Medicaid patients - nice for the patient, not so nice for the hospital and the rest of us who will lose the services of that hospital ultimately.

Because of Obamacare, ERs no longer act as a primary source of... - sm

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of healthcare for many, many people. When they do use the ER, the hospital gets paid where they didn't previously. Your mileage may vary if you live in a state that has refused to expand Medicaid for the poor.

30 years ago, people could afford health insurance - or had employer insurance

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People have MA because they cannot afford private insurance or their employer does not provide. At least the people receiving care now have some form of reimbursement that they would not have had without MA.

You are barking up the wrong tree. Republicans who have control of Congress could send Obama a bill that ends sequestration of MC and MA payments. It will only get worse with Trump.

By the way, 30 years ago, hamburger was about 40 cents a pound.

I will argue with you about the cost of hamburger :) - Truthhurts

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30 years ago, hamburger cost more than that! in NY, it was already $1.39/lb.

The national average was $1.31/lb.

The BLS has the price fluctuating but averaging around $1.18 to $1.28.

How I wish those days were here. Back in the '60s, I would go to a butcher shop and buy 3 lb. of ground beef for $1. Now we pay $3/lb. locally at a butcher shop, but $3.48 in a regular grocery store.

Sorry for the error. - Old newspaper clipping

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We have a scrapbook that had some old newspaper clippings--oh, oh, made a mistake--it was 40 years ago hamburger was 44 cents a pound. Oh well. Go celebrate.

Oh, my, - don't get me started....

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EVERYTHING was less 30 years ago - including the wages - but please don't get me started on why hamburger is expensive....there is a good documentary out right now - if you have an opportunity to see it - it's called Farmland - it was made by the Farm Bureau in an attempt to educate people about food production in America. I will leave it at that.

I can't afford beef or fish anymore. A pack - of 8 beef patties in Northern - sm

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California costs about $12-15 these days... at the "low-price" Grocery Outlet! And fish? Fugettaboutit.

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