Healthcare Disaster in Atlanta [View all]

[NowISeetheLight]

Before I had to quit working (health issues) I worked in hospital revenue cycle. I ran a division in rev cycle for a multi-hospital health system. It was a good job, good money, and exposed me to everything that is wrong with the US healthcare system. Despite what many think hospitals are not money-making ventures for the most part. Most years we were lucky to see 1-2% profit margin. Charity care was off the charts. But it was the vendors, pharmaceutical companies, etc, that were making all the money.

I still receive Becker's Hospital CFO Report in my daily email. Today I saw a story about Wellstar (a hospital system) closing a big hospital in Atlanta. That will leave only one hospital (Grady) to help the city as a Level One Trauma Center. I don't blame Wellstar though. Read the article, how they actually budgeted money to stay open despite sustained operating losses ($107m in the last 12 months). They spent over $350m in capital improvements and operating losses since 2016. They just couldn't make it. This is a healthcare disaster waiting to happen.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/wellstar-to-close-2nd-hospital-in-6-months.html?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=8608A8413078J6M

Part of the problem is Georgia never expanded Medicaid. All those non-paying patients who flocked to the ER for basic care never generated revenue for the hospital. If Georgia had expanded Medicaid these people could have doctors and the hospitals could've had revenue to stay open. Hospitals don't run for "free". They cost money.

This just shows why universal healthcare is necessary. Sure they can say we'd have waiting lists like Canada for things like non-essential care. But you know what? In an emergency you will get care and you won't be bankrupted by it. Plus if our hospitals were paying drug companies and vendors what these other countries were paying for things they wouldn't be in such bad shape. Why does a Stryker artificial knee cost 4x in the US what it costs in India? Companies actually send their employees to India for surgery because it's cheaper for their insurance. How screwed up is that?

Enough ranting. I read that article about Wellstar today and just got pissed off.