Hospital Business in New York, Once Prized, Braces for a Crisis

NY Times ^ | April 11, 2005 | RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

[Clemenza]

I wonder if St. Barnabas is still open (too lazy to do a Google search). I had a VERY negative experience there a few years back. Montefiore was only slightly better.

[neverdem]

Clearly Sgt O'Donnell did not demand enough push-ups from you to modify your attitude.

I guess that's a matter of opinion. I did two tours in Vietnam before I was in O'Donell's company. Adios

[raybbr]

That's mighty white of you. I guess we need to worry about attacks on Bumfuk in the middle of nowhere.

Is there anywhere in the U.S. that isn't "Bumfuk" outside of NY and Wash? Or is the rest of the country "Bumfuk" to you?

[LauraleeBraswell]

It's the LAWSUITS!!!

[The Mayor]

The health care industry in this state is by far the most expensive in the country.

[NYFriend]

As you can probably appreciate, there is no free market for health care, because you'll die without it. What will you be willing to pay if you're going to die otherwise. In addition, we have significant barriers to market entry (Certificate of Need and licensing requirements for hospitals,licenses for MDs, patents in drugs, etc). That's before you get into health insurance, which throws all of this out the window anyway. I know some people don't feel like they need health insurance, or would prefer HSA or MSA, and that's fine. But, too many people want insurance, so it's going to be the dominate way of paying for care for the foreseeable future. The alternative is banning health insurance, which is not very free-market either. We can't think about health care in market terms. It could work, but it doesn't in this day and age. It's infrastructure, is a heavily regulated industry, its charity, or more accurately, its unique and the most complex industry in this country, but either way, its anything but free market.

[neverdem]

If a WMD hits New York or D.C., folks will be evacuated to more rural areas that you so lovingly refer to in a previous post. There are already plans in place to do exactly that, in a worst-case scenario.

The rural areas I "so lovingly" referred to could well have been Ellenville or Kerhonkson, NY. They are not likely targets.

Do you really think more hospitals in an area likely to be hit by a WMD attack would make a difference when everybody leaves those areas?

If the greater New York metropolitan area has to be evacuated, where are about 20 million folks supposed to get shelter?

Closing these hospitals will have little, if any, effect on a WMD response, should one be required.

It depends on the number of folks affected, the nature of the WMD attack and how persistent are the effects. If it only affects thousands, or a few tens of thousands, maybe that would be sufficient to prevent things from getting out of hand. IMHO, it would be foolish in this day and age not to have a surge capacity for mass casualties in at least the ten largest cities in the country.

[neverdem]

Here's a Google. I spent the most of the last two years of medical school at St. Barnabas. I was living in Kingsbridge at the time, so it was convenient.

[kempo]

Why should the people of NY pay for something they don't need? If they have too many beds shut them down. I'm sure the money could be used elsewhere.

[Jim Noble]

I keep hearing how ILLEGALS contribute more to the economy and cheap goods but they seem to forget about the healthcare costs, education, etc. that taxpayers are forced to pay. The employers of ILLEGALS should be forced to provide benefits for them

No, the employers of illegals should be horsewhipped and sent to prison.

Furthermore, the whole idea of healthcare "benefits" should be abolished. You want it, you pay for it, or make your own arrangements.

The shell game that is hospital finance is coming to an end.

[mjtobias]

No, it's the illegal criminal aliens.

I know. I work for a major NY hospitial that is affiliated with St. Agnes. I've also worked for Westchester Medical Center.

[JerseyHighlander]

Follow all the people moving to the Mid-Hudson valley now, and beat the rush.

The other option would be to convert hospital wings into private medical suites to keep the building open, and subsidize the doctor groups' lease and building maintanence costs.

But who would want to open a practice in a run down marginal hospital? I don't know.

[PistolPaknMama]

What's your recommendation for casualty rich targets as far as WMD, terrorism and necessary medical care? To hell with them, it's New York City, Washington D.C. or some other big city? That's mighty white of you. I guess we need to worry about attacks on Bumfuk in the middle of nowhere.

I don't have a recommendation. That's why I asked you what you suggested.

Personally I have no problem if NY'ers want to pay higher taxes to keep medical facilities open. Hospitals are like any other business...supply/demand and generation of enough capital to keep the doors open. Obviously NY is over-saturated with hospitals. The cost of keeping these facilities open for a "what if" situation would be astronomical.

I live within the perimeter of a nuclear site (literally in Bumfuk). If disaster strikes, the nearest hospital on a good day is an hour away. In a disaster, it would probably be three hours away. There are four surrounding counties each with one hopsital. Those four hospitals could never absorb the casualties of such a disaster. Should somebody open and maintain a medical facility near here "just in case"?

As I posted to you earlier, I'm not being antagonistic, only trying to understand what you think should be done when dollars clash with reality.

[mlibby]

Any opinion on the importance of Brooklyn Hospital to its area? Is this place crucial, or is it another likely closure candidate?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[neverdem]

I have no idea.

[Fishrrman]

mjtobias writes:
hundreds more [hospitals] across the country will continue to close down as hordes upon hordes of 3rd world aliens continues the invasion of our country. Today is hospitals, tomorrow will be which institutions?

I have a solution, or at least a partial one:
Why not "private, membership-only" hospitals?

Unlike "public" hospitals, which must admit anyone regardless of ability to pay, a "membership" hospital would be something of a "closed operation", open _only_ to those who had some kind of pre-arranged "membership plan" with the institution. And a pre-arranged PAYMENT plan, as well.

Membership could be had through health insurance plans, either company-provided or "end user purchased", possibly directly from the hosptial itself.

Thus, every patient would represent guaranteed income for the institution. No illegals need seek admission, unless, of course, they were willing to purchase a membership plan for themselves or their families "up front".

I realize that there are laws which prohibit any hospital from operating an emergency room unless they are willing to admit _every_ comer. For this reason, the private hospitals would of necessity have to decline all emergency treatment. But for long- or short-term pre-arranged care, I doubt that any laws could be passed that would prevent a private members-only hospital from operating as such.

And - with every patient a PAYING patient - perhaps the private hospitals could also offer care at a more reasonable cost, since paying patients would not have to be charged extra to cover the hospital's losses on non-payers.

Do such private hospitals already exist? If not, could they not offer a solution in some instances?

- John