This just aired on the PBS Newshour, 19 Dec. 2011, an eye opening, but not an unexpected, investigative report.
Tapping into Medicare's gold mine?
December 19, 2011 - America spends over $500 billion every year so that elderly Medicare patients can get the care they need. But as health care costs rise, many are taking a closer look at what exactly we’re paying for. Our media partners at the Center for Investigative Reporting have been conducting a yearlong California Watch investigation into a prominent hospital chain that is reporting unusually high rates of serious diseases. Does the chain attract the toughest cases, or are the hospitals exaggerating conditions to pump up revenues from taxpayers? Reporter Lance Williams has the story. Transcript>>>
Visit the site to watch and or read the transcript.
Watch California Hospital Chain Eyed for Possibly Bilking Medicare for Millions on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
The PBS News Hour Transcript
Not going to add anything myself except to say that this is what privatization has done, is doing, and they want more, all unregulated!!
Here's one of the reports from the video found at the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Prime hospital bills for malnutrition, but patient says she wasn’t treated
December 16, 2011 - As far as Medicare knew, Darlene Courtois fell ill last year with kwashiorkor, a dangerous form of malnutrition usually seen among starving children during African famines.
At least that’s what her hospital claimed in the bill it sent to Medicare, records show.
But Courtois, 64, says she wasn’t treated for malnutrition during the five days she spent at Shasta Regional Medical Center after she was hurt in a fall. She’s overweight, not emaciated, she said.
And she said she never heard the word for the malady – a virulent illness with symptoms including emaciated arms, a distended belly and distinctive swelling of the feet or legs – until asked about it by a reporter. read more>>>