The Real Reason For Hospital Shortages In The United States

The Revolutionary Act ^ | 04/02/2020

[cherry]

we’ll have less hospitals after this debacle....we’re bankrupting them....

[Karliner]

They’ll call this a failure after it’s all over( if ever)and demand single payer.

[Alberta's Child]

The author spends a lot of time and energy needlessly. The simple reason for the “hospital shortage” in the U.S. is that it’s a waste of money and other resources to design any system or institution — with the possible exception of the military — to meet a maximum surge demand that may only occur once every 50 to 100 years.

[jmacusa]

The hospital I work at in southern NJ is not only in the process of expanding the ER it’s also building new additions to the existing hospital and building new treatment centers.

[americas.best.days...]

I can tell you that in the 1980’s with DRG’ s and Medicare and Medicaid changes, hospitals changed from being run by doctors and nurses to being run by MBA execs. Then layers and layers of seafood. My observations as a 40 year was-just-about-to-retire nurse.

[Wallace T.]

I understand that in New York City, a large number of private or charitable hospitals closed in the last 40 years due to the competition from public hospitals. Of course, everywhere in the country, hospitals associated with Catholic religious orders or Protestant denominations have been absorbed by corporate entities.

[gloryblaze]

From the article: The U.S. also lags behind comparable countries in hospital beds per capita, with 2.8 hospital beds for every 1,000 people, a capacity similar to that of Canada and the United Kingdom, but less than other similarly wealthy countries. Italy, the country with the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths to date, has 3.2 hospital beds per 1,000 people – only slightly more than the U.S. South Korea, which has reportedly slowed the rate of new infection, has 12 beds per 1,000 people. Some data suggest, however, that the U.S. may have more ICU beds per person than many comparable countries.

Our hospitals are big, as in big big. I live near a medical epicenter. The clinics around it are also massive. Everything is big.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[smokingfrog]

https://nypost.com/2020/03/17/new-york-has-thrown-away-20000-hospital-beds-complicating-coronavirus-fight/

[kaehurowing]

The real reason? Obamacare. The same reason why my area now has a shortage of 800 doctors. Several of our hospitals also shut down or went through receivership or shrunk services because the couldn’t make it economically after Obamacare.

[ghostkatz]

“Managed Care” in the 1980s caused me to leave nursing. The sense of being able to provide the level of care patients needed along with compassion was ruined by the “bean counters.” Patients were being booted out with raging infections. I worked orthopedics some patients needed extensive and intense care and therapy for the long haul. Not with managed care... out you go.

[ealgeone]

At this rate, we’re gonna have less of everything...except government.

[americas.best.days...]

Layers of seafood? Lol. Sorry. I typed layers of deadwood, not seafood.

[Calvin Locke]

The real reason? Obamacare.

And illegal aliens.

Remember Bush43 saying "that's too bad" about the hospitals near the Southern border closing?

I think the hospital where both my siblings were born closed down because of illegal aliens, at least according to VOA a few years ago.

[shanover]

Here in South Jersey where I live,we have a brand new hospital and clinics and health “campuses” are being built all over.

[familyop]

Because a far smaller percentage of people are insured than over 40 years ago.

[nascarnation]

I disagree.

In 1980 the number of uninsured was 30m.

In 2018 it was 27.5m

The 1980 number was higher in numbers and percentage.

[jmacusa]

I work at Community Medical in Tom's River. They're doing major expansion.

[rollo tomasi]

The largest single payer is the Federal government.
The largest single payer has reimbursements rates that do match the cost of operations.
The same government establishes costly regulations such as HITECH that smaller systems can't meet due to reimbursement rates by the largest single payer not matching operations.
The largest single payer has the audacity to claim their subsidies cover their self-imposed regulations which numbers and time frames "the Reps"/bureaucracy set are flat-out BS.
The government is “...of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
The blame lies on those who elect our representatives and if you don't like Lincoln's description, contemplate the Preamble to the Constitution.

[libertylover]

That article pointed out that the United States had a “lower hospital density than almost all comparable countries.”

But there aren't any.