http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2012/09/19/selig-hospital-keeping-patients-overlong-to-make-money Comments On: Selig: Hospital keeping patients overlong to make money by Leslie Newell Peacock en-us Copyright 2013 Arkansas Times. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, Arkansas Times readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact Arkansas Times. robert@arktimes.com (Arkansas Times Webmaster) Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:01 -0500 Sun, 19 May 2013 07:45:00 -0500 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
I learned the hard way what happens when politicians get to set medical treatment and procedures. Instead of demanding oxy supply companies offer competitive prices BushCo just raised Medicare's respiratory threshold for qualifying for oxy supplements. My pulmonolgist prescribed oxy therapy two years before I qualified under the new BushCo Medicare threshold.

I did manage to find a used oxy concentrator on Craig's list at an affordable price. Even learned to service it myself, bought all necessary supplies. Now an oxy supplier service gets to do all that at 4x the cost.
Posted by eLwood]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:52:28 -0500 Arkansas Times
but I find Durango's comment terrifying by a factor of 100. You want issues regarding appropriate length of hospital to come before Legislative oversight committee...OMG!!! Billy Bob does medicine when not overseeing lottery and Ms Shoffner.
Posted by olddoc]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:42:18 -0500 Arkansas Times Posted by joanimal]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:34:01 -0500 Arkansas Times
The last time he showed them by having a massive stroke. That got him one more week of luxury hospital care before he was shipped off to a nursing home to die. I understand hospitals can't be turned into long term care units but running off critically ill folks before they are out of danger just fills up the cemetery and wastes the thousands of dollars of surgery performed on them. It's also mighty rough on the dangerously sick person.

In our case the simple words, "We've done all we can do, he's a goner" would have lessened the grief, but I guess doctoral pride won't allow such truths to be spoken. It'll be better soon. I saw my 74 year old uncle yesterday and while he still can't move or talk or eat or drink or control his bowels, he's now sleeping most of the time and the end is surely just a few days away. God I hope so for his tortured sake.
Posted by DeathbyInches]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:20:51 -0500 Arkansas Times
Attaboy, Max. If Selig is telling the truth about the hospital, he should identify it rather than (as I predict he will) offer some flimsy excuse as to why he can’t do that.

If Selig surprises by identifying the hospital, the hospital’s CEO should be called before the Legislature’s Medicaid oversight committee to fully explain the situation rather than (as I predict s/he would) offer some equally-unconvincing excuse as to why THAT can’t be done.

Posted by Durango]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:08:07 -0500 Arkansas Times
You only have to listen to NPR for about 20 minutes to know that we have more than enough facts and solutions to fix these rip offs anytime we are ready. So far, we'd rather fight over the money, easy enough to understand as long as the fed keeps printing money. If they stop we're in trouble. Or, just before then.
Posted by FullThrottle]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:19:02 -0500 Arkansas Times
Both the doctor and state felt he was aggressively and appropriately managing his costs, but he was deemed "expensive" because of hospital activity (something which he has NO MORE control over than a patient. He can ask, that's all)

It's like being a waiter in a place where the tips are shared and finding three of the waiters out back smoking while their customers are flagging you down.
Posted by olddoc]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:17:37 -0500 Arkansas Times