Bernie Sanders chastises Mayo Clinic for 'corporate greed'

[Uncle Joe]

"Mayo Clinic executives have decided to strip away access to health care from tens of thousands of rural Midwesterners – putting profits over people," the Vermont senator's tweet said. "Under Medicare for All, we will end the corporate greed in health care that is leaving rural Americans behind."

The Sanders tweet was linked to a MinnPost article written by Anna Thompson Hajdik, a native Minnesotan and college English teacher. The article was titled "The Mayo Clinic prioritizes profits over patients as rural communities are left behind."

Hajdik and the Sanders campaign argue that Mayo Clinic and other health care systems are contributing to the "hollowing out" of rural America by closing rural clinics in response to declining demand.

(snip)

Mayo has, over the last three years, closed or reduced services to small towns, including Springfield, Lamberton, Fairmont, LeRoy and La Crescent in Minnesota, and Waukon in northeastern Iowa. Mayo has also reduced services in Albert Lea, including a labor and delivery unit, and moved them to the hospital in Austin.

At the same time, Mayo is opening its first hospital outside the United States in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, one of the wealthiest nations on the globe.

(snip)

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/business/healthcare/4825984-Bernie-Sanders-chastises-Mayo-Clinic-for-corporate-greed

Link to tweet

This is the article to which Bernie tweeted in response.

The Mayo Clinic prioritizes profits over patients as rural communities are left behind

The Mayo Clinic’s recent announcement regarding its opening of a “mega-hospital” joint venture in Abu Dhabi was made with the usual fanfare associated with the glossy sheen of well-oiled public relations machinery. The Mayo Clinic “extending its brand” abroad. In the UAE Mayo “can meet patients where they are,” and of course, never worry about their ability to pay since it is being founded as a for-profit entity. Those pesky lower reimbursement rates for patients on Medicaid or Medicare — not a concern in what is the fifth wealthiest country in the world.

The stated mission of the Mayo Clinic is “to inspire hope, and contribute to health and well-being by providing the best care to every patient [emphasis mine] through integrated clinical practice, education and research.” Mayo’s reputation for research and patient care remains unparalleled and indeed, it has long been a Destination Medical Center for many throughout the world, even before it was given that official designation by the state in 2013. In 2018, the Mayo Clinic posted revenue of $12.8 billion (a net margin of 5%) with chief financial officer Dennis Dahlen calling it a “tremendously successful year.” He continued, “We’ve got continuing strong demand for the services that Mayo provides … and a global brand brings people to Rochester and to our other campuses as well.”

But, in its great ambition to expand its global brand, has the Mayo Clinic lost sight of its mission of “providing the best care to every patient?” Has this celebrated health care institution ruthlessly prioritized profits above its rural patients by systematically gutting health care services throughout the upper rural Midwest? Ask the residents of Albert Lea. Mayo took over the hospital there in 1996 and slowly began to whittle away at the services it provided to the community’s 18,000 residents. First, it cut its intensive care unit (ICU) in the fall of 2017. This past fall, it closed its labor and delivery unit, moving all of those services to the hospital in Austin, nearly 40 miles away. Clinic closures or service cuts have also occurred in numerous small towns just over the past three years. Fairmont, Leroy, and La Crescent in Minnesota; Waukon in northeastern Iowa. Last week it announced upcoming closures in Springfield and Lamberton.

Mayo leaders and administrators claim that rural populations have diminished so significantly that it makes no financial sense to keep all these services intact in smaller communities. They use terms like “optimization” and “consolidation” as a kind of neoliberal code for cutting and shuttering services and clinics. They claim that they cannot attract quality doctors or nurses; that such institutions operate at a loss, and thus Mayo, too, loses money. For any modern corporation in our capitalist society, that’s just common sense, right? Except that the Mayo Clinic is a non-profit institution like nearly 3,000 other hospitals across the country. Its tax-exempt status allows it to raise large amounts of charitable money, and it avoids paying state and local taxes. Furthermore, in 2013, state lawmakers approved a massive public spending package worth $585 million for the Mayo Clinic’s DMC expansion. Of that $585 million, $424 million comes from state taxpayers while the rest comes from the city of Rochester and Olmsted County. However, with so much public money at stake (and a substantial portion of that amount coming from outside of Rochester) no provisions exist in this package to motivate Mayo leaders to make assurances about continuing to serve more vulnerable patient populations in rural Minnesota.

(snip)

https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2019/12/the-mayo-clinic-prioritizes-profits-over-patients-as-rural-communities-are-left-behind/

[George II]

1. The Mayo Clinic is one of the most well respected hospitals in the WORLD....

....and has done ground breaking medical research for decades and operates an award-winning medical school.

I think they know how to run a hospital, medical school, conduct research, and treat patients.

They don't need advice from Senator Sanders. I'll just leave it at that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayo_Clinic

The Mayo Clinic is an American not-for-profit organization academic medical center based in Rochester, Minnesota, focused on integrated clinical practice, education, and research. It employs more than 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff. The practice specializes in treating difficult cases through tertiary care and destination medicine. It is home to the top-ten ranked Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in addition to many of the largest, best regarded residency education programs in the United States. It spends over $660 million a year on research and has more than 3,000 full-time research personnel.

Mayo Clinic is ranked number 1 in the United States for 2019-20 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll, maintaining a position at or near the top for more than 27 years. It has been on the list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" published by Fortune magazine for fourteen consecutive years, and has continued to achieve this ranking through 2017.

[still_one]

15. Absolutely, and only highlights his ignorance

[TheRealNorth]

55. So you are okay with Mayo shutting clinics in rural MN

While they open clinic in Abu Dhabi so that Mohammed bin Bone Saw and the Russian oligarchs can get their luxury health care.

Mayo is free to Do it, but Bernie is right to call them out on it.

[NurseJackie]

68. Perfectly stated. Thank you!

Yes it does.

[betsuni]

76. +1

[Wiseman32218]

20. You are absolutely correct, I was treated at the Mayo Clinic for my

brain aneurysm and A-Fib in February of this year and the treatment WAS OUTSTANDING!!!!

[Cuthbert Allgood]

33. I don't think Sanders said they are horrible doctors.

I'm going to go on a limb and assume you either have insurance that covered you or are extremely wealthy.

For the record, my wife had to go there and we, thankfully, have good insurance that covered her.

[Wiseman32218]

40. I was commenting on the fact that they are well respected, and yes I had excellent

insurance thru BC/BS until my employer terminated me for being out of work too long!!!!

After getting terminated it has been a constant battle with insurance providers and finding doctors that will take Medicaid due to my disability.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

58. It's just the realization that Bernie is right, is the best Democrat to go after Dolt45...

and is going to win the presidency.That's all it is... it's perfectly understandable!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Recursion]

87. Mayo is not-for-profit and treats patients regardless of ability to pay

I know it burns people to learn that profit motive is not actually the enemy here, but there's zero profit motive at Mayo.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

89. True and not true.

They have a Charity program you have to get approved for. If you make 2 times the poverty level (25,750 for family of four, so 51,500 is the level) you get the treatment for free. If, for a family of four you make 103,000 (4x the poverty level), they will average a 50% reduction. That's a shit load of money if you have to go there for serious tests over a week or more.

[Recursion]

90. The *care* is still provided regardless of ability to pay

And, yeah, I'm honestly not worried about someone from a household making $100K. $51,500 is just about the median income, or was a year or few ago, so, yes: the richer half of the country subsidizes the poorer half here. That's what I thought we believed in?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

92. It's actually from $51,501 to $103,000 that would have to pay, on average, 50% of the bill.

So are you worried about those making $50K? Do you think they can pay half a Mayo bill. And the median this year, I believe, is just a little over $70K.

And, yeah, great, they get the care and then they have to pay for it for the rest of their life.

[Recursion]

93. Again, that's the richer half of the country, so, no

That's not who I'm really concerned about. Like, I'd obviously love everybody's healthcare to be free, but once you're over the median income the immediacy of that drops pretty quickly for me.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

95. The Yang ad about 78% of people living paycheck-to-paycheck is interesting for your argument.

If he is correct, (and I'm assuming he is), that means a US household making $122,000 (the 78th percentile of the US population) is living paycheck-to-paycheck. And you are fine with them being charged over 50% of a bill at Mayo. That bill would bankrupt most people if it involved multiple days and multiple doctors.

[Recursion]

96. You are not taking into account household size

78% of people live paycheck to paycheck, which translates to about 56% of households, last I looked, and the 56th percentile houshold income is about $58K.

[guillaumeb]

26. Which totally avoids any discussion of the topic.

And that is corporate greed, and how it impacts decision making in a monetized system of delivering healthcare.

[George II]

37. See posts #32 and #36. Not a shred of "corporate greed".

[Eliot Rosewater]

53. Is the Mayo Clinic guilty of corporate greed?

[Recursion]

88. You know, the not-for-profit clinic, that still puts profits before patients

I'm sure it makes sense through enough social media filters.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

59. Bernie understands this, and the need to get money out of politics...

AND is actually talking about how to do this.


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[guillaumeb]

97. Yes, he does.

And recognizing the actual issues is critical to making an informed vote.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

98. You said it!! Why Bernie is the best Democratic candidate GUARANTEED to beat Dolt45!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Gothmog]

34. Attacking the Mayo clinic is really inappropriate and sad

[The Valley Below]

51. It only makes BS looks bad to attack the Mayo Clinic.

I do not trust his judgement.

[treestar]

75. If it's not for profit

I wonder how "corporate greed" fits in.

[George II]

77. Precisely. In post #36 I showed how they actually spent MORE than they "earned" last year....

...upgrading facilities, services, building new facilities AND helping those on Medicaid and Medicare who couldn't pay for their health care services.

This is a woefully ill-conceived attack on a benevolent organization.

[TidalWave46]

2. Tough position he is in.

He only knows one campaign style and it's exactly why he is a career politician without a coalition. Scorched earth. His messaging is a whole lot worse than it was in 16. I'm going to put a lot of that on the fact that Symone Sanders went to the Biden team instead of coming back to the Sanders team. I imagine she controlled a lot of Sanders impulses. Just one more huge loss for Sanders in a long line of losses.

[George II]

4. Sad that now he's going after one of the most prestigious and well respected....

....medical organizations in the world.

[comradebillyboy]

6. Only Bernie is pure. Only Bernie can save us.

[Eliot Rosewater]

48. Well, Bernie has a lot of good points or takes good positions, but he has to have

SUPPORT from the liberal and democratic party and is anyone here going to say he is known for getting people together on an issue, or will people admit he is known for NOT being able to do that very well?

[comradebillyboy]

56. Very true. Politics is a team sport and the ability to work with

others in a common effort is essential.

[DanieRains]

57. For Profit Healthcare Is For Fools

Thank you Bernie for stating the obvious over, and over, and over, and some more too.

No other advanced nation is as stupid as us!

And we get to pay up to 10 X the price for meds too!

Win win for stockholders, and patent holders.

[Eliot Rosewater]

62. Welcome aboard the UHC team, I have been on it for 45 years. SIGH

[brooklynite]

79. Yeah, let's have the doctors work for FREE!!!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

60. Bernie is not perfect...no candidate is. He just has better progressive ideas, and superior judgment

when it comes to fundamental fairness and justice than his fellow Democrats who are running against him in the 2020 primary.


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Amimnoch]

5. Less healthcare options in areas that overwhelmingly went to Trump?

Thinking this is more Karma than injustice.

[Me.]

7. Boy, For Someone Who Has Made So Many Mistakes

he sure does a lot of chastising

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

61. And he sure knows how to run a popular campaign judging by the latest polls.

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Me.]

69. THe Polls I Saw Today

didn't indicate that

[redqueen]

8. Apparently if a firm does good work they don't have to care about putting people over profits.

They made $12B last year, so they're not exactly being forced to stop serving rural areas, and instead chase after more money in the human rights cesspit that is Abu Dhabi.

[George II]

9. NO! They did not "make" $12B, they had REVENUE of $12B. Revenue is not profit.....

....If you go to a super market and spend $100, the super market has $100 in REVENUE. Out of that comes rent, heat, electricity, product cost, salaries, etc.

Read the highlighted part that speaks of $12B revenue again, please.

[redqueen]

10. They're a non-profit - "their income from current activities" is expected to be $1B this year.

So, again, no justification other than the one Bernie already gave - greed.

[George II]

14. Going back, their revenue last year was $12B at a 5% margin (that's clearly stated)...

....5% of $12B is $600M, a far cry from $12B, actually 1/20 of $12B.

So what do you suppose they do with that $600M? They don't put it in their bank accounts or wallets. They reinvest it in their facilities, modernize, build new ones, expand others.

That article is so full of misrepresentations and inaccuracies (I'll stop short of calling them lies) it's ridiculous. That writer has an agenda.

Just a little research in three minutes proves this simple statement false. Speaking of the facility in Albert Lea she says:

This past fall, it closed its labor and delivery unit, moving all of those services to the hospital in Austin, nearly 40 miles away.

Yes, those services are moving, but not "nearly 40 miles away", those two facilities are 21.4 miles apart, HALF the distance! Plus, Mayo Clinic operates three medical facilities in Austin Lea, only one in Austin.

Why does she write such blatant lies and obfuscations? Why didn't she mention that there still are two in Albert Lea? Does she know anything about the need for labor and delivery services in Austin?

[NurseJackie]

29. It's more than the author being merely woefully ill-informed. The agenda is clear...

That article is so full of misrepresentations and inaccuracies (I'll stop short of calling them lies) it's ridiculous. That writer has an agenda.

It's more than the author being merely woefully ill-informed. The agenda is clear, therefore it's entirely appropriate to characterize what was written as being lies.

Why does she write such blatant lies and obfuscations?

Because with truth and accuracy (instead of hype and hysteria) it doesn't fit into the BS narrative, and because there are fewer clicks?

[Hortensis]

38. Yes. Deliberate, repetitive deceptions and untruths

amount to lies and are attacks on their intended targets. The Mayo Clinic is not the target of this hit, Redqueen, the voters who trust them and will believe the lies are.

Imo, you should be very angry at the people behind this. People who try to deceive you are insulting and betraying your trust.

[Eliot Rosewater]

49. And not ONE person will admit this who needs to , here, how sick and sad

[Docreed2003]

31. +1

[Hassin Bin Sober]

22. Won't somebody think of the multi billion dollar profit center?

Please don’t besmirch their billions in revenue!

[George II]

32. Who is talking about a "multi billion dollar profit center"? Certainly not in this discussion....

But to point out how off-track the "chastising" is, the Mayo Clinic in 2018 showed "profit" (i.e., operating income) of $706 million. So what did they do with that? Did they buy yachts, fancy cars, resorts, etc.?

NO! The previous year they invested $1 billion to upgrade their system-wide software that improve screening and patient input (MORE than their "profit" in 2017).

Then, in 2018 they invested $724 million (again, more than their "profit" ) in capital projects - $359 million for new facilities and technology, $365 for maintaining and replacing existing technology.

They also contributed $78 million in charity care, $511 million in unpaid portions of Medicaid bills and $2.2 billion to cover gaps in Medicare payments.

Hardly a "multi billion dollar profit center"!!!! Oh what a horrible example of "corporate greed"!!!

Time to face reality, folks.

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/mayo-clinic-revenue-up-5-to-126b-in-2018/548745/

[Uncle Joe]

12. They have come a long way since Will and Charlie Mayo

(snip)

Mayo and other health care systems claim that their decisions to close clinics and hospitals are driven by a lack of demand for these services, pure and simple. But in making these purely economic decisions, they contribute mightily to the hollowing out of rural America and essentially undermine their core institutional mission. Indeed, for Will and Charlie Mayo, the institution they helped to grow into one of the world’s most hallowed healthcare systems, it was not only about the bottom line. Visitors to the Mayo Clinic’s Heritage Hall learn that during the Great Depression, for example, they routinely paid the bills of their poorest patients. Decades later, many of those patients paid back the Mayo brothers when they were financially able.

If history tells us anything from the past 20 years, it is that disinvestment in our civic institutions is not the answer. It punishes the most vulnerable among us and has led to higher rates of economic inequality. From our public schools and universities, to community newspapers, churches, and yes, hospitals – the diminishment and/or closure of these institutions affects the very fabric of our regional identity and culture. I humbly propose that any revenues gained from the Abu Dhabi “mega-hospital” venture go not to the already flush Mayo Foundation, but instead to a brand new initiative. Let’s call it the “Rural Communities Revitalized” fund wherein the Mayo Clinic sets aside money to support and enhance its remaining rural clinics. This support might take the form of new technology, highly competitive salaries for doctors and nurses, or the re-establishment of lost services and clinics. Don’t desert these communities and their patients. Invest in their future. Will and Charlie Mayo would certainly approve.

https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2019/12/the-mayo-clinic-prioritizes-profits-over-patients-as-rural-communities-are-left-behind/

[LanternWaste]

19. Much as your own goalposts have come a long way.

[George II]

36. An article from a clearly biased writer. Here's a better idea of what the Mayo Clinic is all about.

Looks like Bernie didn't do his homework before he "chastised" the Mayo Clinic:

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/mayo-clinic-revenue-up-5-to-126b-in-2018/548745/

Mayo Clinic saw revenue climb 5.1% to $12.6 billion in 2018, up from $11.09 billion the previous year.

Net operating income dipped slightly to $706 million from $707 million in 2017. Total net income was $554 million, down from $1.4 billion a year ago, due largely to changes in investment markets, according to consolidated financial results released Tuesday.

The showing came despite a $1 billion investment to implement an enterprise-wide Epic EHR and $50 million in missed revenue due to the transition.

The sound results allowed Mayo to invest more than $724 million in capital projects. Of that, $359 million went to fund new facilities and technology projects, while $365 million was for maintaining and replacing existing technology.

In addition to projects already underway, the system approved expansions totaling $1 billion at campuses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona and Florida.

Mayo also reported a number of contributions to community health in 2018. These included $78 million in charity care, $511 million in unpaid portions of Medicaid bills and $2.2 billion to cover gaps in Medicare payments. The clinic also made $6 million in cash and in-kind donations to communities it serves.

So where is the so-called "corporate greed"? NOWHERE!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

63. Right again redqueen... as usual!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[George II]

65. Revenue is NOT profit, and as you can see in this thread they reinvested or contributed MORE....

....than their profit, fulfilling their goal of being not-for-profit.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

11. Sorry Bernie. No one touches my eyes but Mayo.

I live 3 miles from Mayo Clinic. I have been a patient of Opthalmalogy since 1982. For everrything else, I go to Olmsted Medical Group, where there are a lot of Mayo Graduates and former Docs there who wanted less stress.

I am fortunate to have world class medical knowledge here. Mayo also employs over 30,000 people. They will be adding up to 20,000 more over 10 years.

[Joe941]

66. Well you are one of the lucky ones who has access.

[ismnotwasm]

13. Holy shit.

I mean...

[MineralMan]

16. I'm not sure this is smart of Bernie, at least in terms of the

Minnesota Primary. The region served by the Mayo system is overwhelmingly Republican, especially in the rural communities, so I don't think he's going to glean many votes in those areas, which are the only ones impacted, really, by Mayo's cuts in local clinics.

Up in the Twin Cities, we don't think about Mayo much, unless we need some sort of specialized care that only Mayo can deliver. We have many fine hospitals in the cities here. We also vote for Democrats in Minneapolis and St. Paul, although several suburbs are pretty conservative.

I'm not sure what he's aiming for with this, really. Mayo has a very strong reputation here in Minnesota, even if we don't go there much for medical care.

[ismnotwasm]

18. The Mayo Clinic has a world class reputation everywhere

Rural communities and providing care are a huge issue however, and one that should be included in every health care initiative. I have yet to see it addressed outside of specialized areas, nursing leaders, unions doctors groups etc.


No matter what the path, the end goal is healthcare for everyone.

[Uncle Joe]

24. Precisely ismnotwasm.

[George II]

21. That's the other point missed - the Mayo Clinic isn't the only operator of medical facilities....

....throughout Minnesota. There are many others as well.

[MineralMan]

23. We have almost an oversupply of medical care facilities in

the Twin Cities metro area. Dozens of multi-specialty clinics, many hospitals, etc. Depending on which healtcare system you're in, based on your insurance, you can almost certainly be seen in a same-day appointment by a primary care physician - probably our own. There's really a surplus of healthcare in both Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Out in the boonies, not so much, although Mayo Clinic is there, down in Rochester, serving southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa. However, if you live in a small down in those regions, you might have to drive 20 minutes for your appointment. Rural living is like that.

Anyway, the Democratic voters, for the most part, are found in the Twin Cities metro area, not down where Mayo is. So, what Bernie did doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I'm not sure who he was targeting with his posturing. Mayo's not going to re-open the small clinics they're closing. They're underutilized and the doctors don't like them much, so they're unpopular with them, as well.

The Democratic voters in the Twin Cities aren't all that concerned about Mayo and its rural community clinics down in Trumpland. Nope.

Besides, Mayo is like a god here in Minnesota. It's the place of last resort if you have some horrible rare thing wrong with you. Everyone here knows someone who went there and unexpectedly came back alive.

[George II]

25. Twenty minutes to get to a medical facility or clinic is typical just about everywhere, unless...

....one goes to a walk-in emergency clinic (we have two within a mile of where we live)

It's probably longer for people in places like NYC or Boston, where people don't drive as much as other areas.

Our doctors are all within 12 miles of us, still three towns west of us.

[MineralMan]

27. Yeah. it takes me twenty minutes to drive to the clinic I go to, and

it's in the same city. It's not a hardship, really. It would take longer if I took a metro transit bus, of course, but every trip takes longer that way.

[NYMinute]

17. Bernie this and Bernie that

[NurseJackie]

28. And for all the talk talk talk, his poll numbers are still flat.

His supporters are loyal and enthusiastic... there just aren't enough of them to secure the nomination.

[IADEMO2004]

30. Hammer and ax his only tools. Part time Democrat.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

35. Way more apologetics for corporations and the health care industry

on a liberal website than I would have guess.

Do they offer great health care? Obviously.

Are the problems with access to that health care? Duh.

It's just really disheartening to read the "well, I get treated there so shut up" comments.

[George II]

39. They provide access to many who can't afford it.....

Mayo also reported a number of contributions to community health in 2018. These included $78 million in charity care, $511 million in unpaid portions of Medicaid bills and $2.2 billion to cover gaps in Medicare payments. The clinic also made $6 million in cash and in-kind donations to communities it serves.

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/mayo-clinic-revenue-up-5-to-126b-in-2018/548745/

[TexasTowelie]

47. No,

just more people that are pragmatic and not as gullible than Bernie believes we are.

It is still possible to be liberal without bashing corporations or the healthcare industry.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

64. What else were you expecting?! Me?? Just another old-fashioned Bernie bashing is all...

which only makes him stronger!! I'll never understand that kind of fear, especially of someone who sposedly has no chance of winning the Democratic nomination!! Unless of course...


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[GemDigger]

41. Bernie, Bernie, Bernie. Mayo Clinic is non profit that also does important medical research.

Where do you think that money comes from? Not from $10 or $15 donors.

[still_one]

42. +++

[Act_of_Reparation]

44. Ask and you shall receive

[LongtimeAZDem]

46. Yeah, that's what we are. You got us.

[NurseJackie]

50. Hmmm... where did he go?

[LongtimeAZDem]

52. Shoot; shoulda got a screenshot

[NurseJackie]

54. Sending you a PM... one moment please.

[OldRed2450]

70. Can I have one too?

[dware]

78. Can you send me one also?

Thanks in advance.

[NurseJackie]

45. BOYCOTT MAYO CLINIC!!

[George II]

85. They paid off almost $2B of peoples' Medicaid and Medicare bills who couldn't pay it themselves...

What a horrible example of "corporate greed", huh?

[NurseJackie]

94. Who's next to be targeted unfairly?

St. Jude's? Planned Parenthood? (Oh, wait.)

I swear! This ridiculous smear against the Mayo Clinic is further proof (in my mind) that the BS campaign is in trouble. It also reveals that not much research is done, or that whoever is giving BS advice and strategy guidance has questionable ethics. It's just beyond the pale.

All I'm trying to say is that this really serves no good purpose. And when the truth finally makes its way out, these types of stunts really do harm the reputation of the one who's spreading the misinformation and distortions and outright lies.

Again... why?

[BeckyDem]

67. The tolerance for greed in this thread is stunning.

K&R

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

71. Yes, absolutely stunning!! Bernie gets it though... he will fight for economic justice like no other

candidate in the field, which is why he gives us the best chance of defeating that disgraceful POS occupying the White House.


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Uncle Joe]

73. It's the water our society swims in. n/t

[NYMinute]

74. Making people aware of the reality of accounting is not tolerance

If you made $50K a year -- would you want to be called greedy without considering your mortgage, property taxes and expenses for raising youf racmily which nets you $200 a year?

[BeckyDem]

84. You're doing the opposite. The reputation of Mayo has been problematic BEFORE Bernie Sanders wrote

the tweet. Problematic for Mayo because they have earned the scorn they receive.

Tax-exempt Mayo Clinic grows, but rural patients pay a price

The famed medical center builds a grand main campus while consolidating services elsewhere.

By DAN DIAMOND

11/16/2017

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic, which sprawls across this Midwestern city, is the nation's top-ranked hospital, according to U.S. News & World Report. But that might undersell its prominence: The clinic is arguably the best-regarded health care system on the entire planet.

Patients from nearly 150 countries travel to Mayo Clinic sites in Minnesota, Arizona, Florida and beyond. Famed filmmaker Ken Burns is making a documentary about Mayo and the story of its founders — Will and Charlie Mayo, a pair of brothers and doctors who have assumed near-mythic status in the health care field. It's the system that lawmakers around the nation cite when pushing health reforms, and that clinical researchers praise as a model for other caregivers.

excerpt: "The noose tightened imperceptibly at first," said Paul Overgaard, an 87-year-old former state lawmaker who's lived in Albert Lea for decades. "Mayo made all these overtures about, oh, it's going to be so good. I wouldn't say we were stupid, but we believed people when they told us."

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/16/mayo-clinic-rural-health-care-244955

Further more, what they decided to do with that money is questionable.

Mayo Clinic's net income more than doubles to $1.5B
Ayla Ellison (Twitter) - Monday, November 18th, 2019

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/mayo-clinic-s-net-income-more-than-doubles-to-1-5b.html

[betsuni]

72. And the Mayo Clinic joins Planned Parenthood on the Establishment Enemies list.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

80. Really curious what Bernie's solution to the rural health care crisis might be.

[betsuni]

81. He will hold rallies and make Republicans be nice.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=384079

[WhiskeyGrinder]

83. Christ.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

82. So I checked out his website, and I'm really taken aback by some of it.

https://berniesanders.com/issues/revitalizing-rural-america/

• Level the playing field for farmers and farm workers.
• Empower farmers, foresteers [sic] and ranchers to address climate change and protect ecosystems.
• Foster investment to revitalize rural communities.

So first off, the self-described key points are focused on farmers, and then foresters and ranchers. All of these occupations make up about 10 percent of rural jobs. The largest chunk of rural jobs -- more than 20 percent -- are "helping" professions, such as education, health care and social services. This will rise as the population continues to age.

Interesting (and, I think, tellingly), there is a strong gender division between the jobs the BS website focuses on, and the one that maybe it should focus on.

Then there's a big chunk of Bernie-toned copy talking about how ag doesn't work anymore for farmers or consumers. Many, many rural people live in areas that aren't ag-dependent. It's written in a way that someone who works in natural resources or extractive industries isn't going to really see themselves if they're looking for rural answers.

Looking at the health care section, I see this:

Provide funding to rebuild and expand rural health care infrastructure, including hospitals, maternity wards, mental health clinics, dental clinics, dialysis centers, home care services, ambulance services, and emergency departments in rural areas.

Does that mean giving Mayo money to keep its rural clinics open?

Promote local foods to encourage healthy lifestyle and wellness, including incentives for schools to source their meals from local farmers.

Not all rural areas have farms.

Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff here -- stuff that he applies to every section, such as getting rid of right-to-scab laws and increasing funding for rural broadband (huge). But otherwise I just.

tl;dr: For someone who's supposed to be so revolutionary, I guess I wanted less pandering and more revolution.

[Recursion]

91. Urban farmers are almost as common as rural farmers in 2019

Also: you are exactly right about the gender gap. I'll take Sen. Sanders more seriously when he starts talking about bringing back typing pool and switchboard jobs.

[Recursion]

86. The Mayo clinic is a not-for-profit

So by definition the problem isn't "putting profits over people"

[Cuthbert Allgood]

99. You know that doesn't mean that they don't make money, right?

They still have profits. And they use those profits to pay their people. A lot of money. Right? You do know that? You don't really think that Mayo doesn't make more money than they spend? Not-for-profit just means that the profits don't go to the owners.

[Recursion]

100. I mean, literally, it means they don't make profits

That's actually what it means. Excess revenues cannot be extracted for shareholders.

If you're saying "making excess revenues" is a problem then you would have to be against Medicare, since it did that for a long time.

[AncientGeezer]

101. Poorly thought out hit Senator

[ehrnst]

102. The Mayo Clinic? Seriously?