Steward Health Care quits Massachusetts hospital group
Submitted by seachange on Fri, 2011-12-30 03:45.
For-profit chain says it can better advocate for its unique interests. Steven Syre, Boston Globe, December 29, 2011 Steward Health Care System, the fast-growing company that operates 10 Massachusetts hospitals, has abruptly resigned from the state’s leading hospital association in the midst of a roiling political debate over the future of health care reform. The for-profit company and its hospitals resigned as members of the Massachusetts Hospital Association without explanation in a hand-delivered note Friday, hospital association president Lynn Nicholas told board members Tuesday in an e-mail obtained by the Globe. ... Steward
Struck A Chord
On alert over Steward’s system for reining in health care costs
Barbara Badstubner, Groton, Boston Globe, January 5, 2012
Re “Steward leaves state hospital association: For-profit chain says it can better advocate for its unique interests’’ (Business, December 29): Steven Syre’s timely column struck a chord with me. Last month week I received a letter from Steward Health Care System telling me that the company was going to coordinate my medical information, along with a sheet in which I could opt out. Liking my privacy, joke though it is in this age of communication, I signed the opt-out, crossed out everything not applicable, and made a copy for my files before sending it back. Why do all that? I can see the bad news coming down the road, and I want to document everything.
Syre hit the nail on the head. Steward is part of the attempt to rein in spending - not a bad thing, until it refuses to pay for my treatment under a system of accountable care (once known as “capitation’’). This kind of care bodes no good for me or other elders.
Thank you to Syre for alerting me, and please keep informing readers about what is happening. What is good for business is not good for people who receive Medicare and Medicaid.
Straight news is excellent, and I applaud unbiased reporting, but this company needs to be watched.