No Mercy (Catholic hospital system for sale due to Obamacare)

National Review ^ | 10/15/2010 | Kathryn Jean Lopez

[Born Conservative]

Did Obamacare kill the Catholic hospital Joe Biden was born in?

That’s been a matter of battling press releases, news reports, and even a radio ad in Pennsylvania in recent days, as the vice president went back to Scranton — home of Mercy Hospital, where he was delivered — to campaign for Rep. Chris Carney.

The controversy got fired up when Kevin Cook, the CEO of Mercy Partners — a health-care system run by the Sisters of Mercy, with three hospitals in Pennsylvania — commented about those three locations’ being put up for sale: “Health-care reform is absolutely playing a role. Was it the precipitating factor in this decision? No, but was it a factor in our planning over the next five years? Absolutely.”

Cook’s “absolutely” set off a firestorm.

The hospitals in question serve the congressional districts of two supposed pro-life Democrats — Carney and Paul Kanjorski — who voted for the Obamacare legislation this spring and have been targets of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List’s “Votes Have Consequences” campaign because of it. (Mercy Tyler Hospital is in Tunkhannock, in Carney’s district; Mercy Hospital is in Scranton and Mercy Special Care Hospital is in Nanticoke, both in Kanjorski’s district.) Both Carney and Kanjorski voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act even though the legislation does not prohibit abortion funding, as we have seen in a number of states, including Pennsylvania.

[Born Conservative]

Ping

[Tribune7]

FR was ahead of the curve on this one ping.

[Past Your Eyes]

Well at least we know for sure that one of them was born in this country.

[kearnyirish2]

Here in NJ our Catholic hospitals were doomed by cuts in “charity care”; the government required them to treat anyone regardless of ability to pay, then reduced further & further the reimbursement for this care.

This had the same effect in southern California; basically, the care of illegals drives the hospitals into the red. They have come up with a solution, though; they eliminate their emergency rooms, so when you show up you have an appointment and they already know your (real) address, insurance info, etc. They don’t have ambulances for emergencies.

[IbJensen]

Perhaps a monument could be erected for the vice-president after the hospital is torn down.

[Westbrook]

> Perhaps a monument could be erected for the vice-
> president after the hospital is torn down.

About 90 feet high, and about 9 feet wide, made of dredgings from the Potomac. Sounds about right to me.

[Chode]

Of Sister Keehan’s decision to buy into the cuts, Nelson says: “I thought it was imprudent and inconsistent with CHA’s mission. They are supposed to be providing care to the indigent as part of their mission as a Catholic hospital.

In exchange, Catholic hospitals are afforded their nonprofit status. So in the name of social justice they attempt to avoid that obligation by pushing for a vast expansion of the federal role in health care and a promise of universal health care.

This could undermine their claim to tax-exempt status. And at the same time they put on the table future cuts in reimbursement levels under the federal program. It seems like they are giving up whatever autonomy they had left and embracing federal control that will eventually lead to the erosion of their Catholic identity.

This is particularly risky in light of the fact that the political figure that they embraced, President Obama, is the most pro-abortion president in history based on his record and statements.”

and there it is...

[Born Conservative]

Or, as someone on local talk radio suggested, make it a historic landmark.

[chilltherats]

The whole thing is an absolute crying shame.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Oh Lord. It's beginning already.

I've sent this to my Diocesan P+J Director. I told him a year and a half ago that this would be the end of Catholic hospitals...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Born Conservative.

the Catholic hospital Joe Biden was born in

Hmm. ;')

[Soothesayer]

The end of Catholic hospitals and the beginning of European-style death centers.

[Just Lori]

So he was really born? I thought he slithered out from under a rock.

[jmaroneps37]

http://www.coachisright.com/obamas-friday-order-to-catholic-hospitals-shut-up-commit-abortions-or-i%e2%80%99ll-shut-you-down/

[SunkenCiv]

Aliens grew him in a petri dish in a lab. They were retarded aliens.

[Chode]

sad but true, you were quite prophetic...

[Eva]

I'm bumping this article about Scranton, PA because everyone seems to have forgotten that Scranton and it's Catholic hospital system were ground zero for the Obamacare battle. It was Scranton, PA where Obama's nun, Sister Carol Keehan, first came to national prominence, just before she testified in favor of Obamacare, before Congress.

Here's another article, with more details, from the American Spectator:

The President's NUN: Obamacare scandal explodes (in Scranton)

[COBOL2Java]

I hope Sister Carol is enjoying her 30 pieces of silver which she sxchanged for her support of ObamaCare.

[Eva]

Sister Carol, actually, has withdrawn her support for Obamacare, following the battle over forcing the Catholic Church to pay for contraception and abortifacients.