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Debate raging across United States over new hospitals
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 12/19/2011 | Andrew Conte and Luis Fabregas

Posted on 12/19/2011 10:50:17 AM PST by surroundedbyblue

Like McDonald's versus Burger King or Wal-Mart against Target, U.S. hospitals spent $17 billion on new buildings the past two years to get your business.

"If there's a new hospital, somebody has to pay for it," said Nancy Griffith, 67, a hospital volunteer in Illinois.

Unlike 36 states, Pennsylvania doesn't regulate hospital construction. The Trib looked at two states that do (Illinois and North Carolina) and one that doesn't (California).

(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:
Makes one wonder what health care would be like if we truly had a free market, competitive system & the gov would stay out?
1 posted on 12/19/2011 10:50:19 AM PST by surroundedbyblue
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To: surroundedbyblue
Along with Tort Reform
2 posted on 12/19/2011 10:53:41 AM PST by TYVets (Pure-Gas.org ..... ethanol free gasoline by state and city)
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To: surroundedbyblue

In IL..Rezko, Obama and Blago made good money off consulting those hospitals that needed state approval. Two of them went to jail over it. We are hoping the third will too.
It just proves that if you give the govt control..it corrupts the decision making.


3 posted on 12/19/2011 10:54:41 AM PST by Oldexpat
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To: surroundedbyblue

In IL..Rezko, Obama and Blago made good money off consulting those hospitals that needed state approval. Two of them went to jail over it. We are hoping the third will too.
It just proves that if you give the govt control..it corrupts the decision making.


4 posted on 12/19/2011 10:54:45 AM PST by Oldexpat
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To: surroundedbyblue
Unlike 36 states, Pennsylvania doesn't regulate hospital construction.

One of the few things not regulated here. Now if only the state could get out of the liqueur business, I would be happy.

5 posted on 12/19/2011 11:00:28 AM PST by Lazlo in PA (Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
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To: surroundedbyblue
"If there's a new hospital, somebody has to pay for it," said Nancy Griffith, 67, a hospital volunteer in Illinois.

Thank heaven there's always an expert around...

6 posted on 12/19/2011 11:09:00 AM PST by DoughtyOne (Why back in '88, Conservatives backed Gore in Texas. What Reagan revolution? What laegacy?)
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To: surroundedbyblue
"If there's a new hospital, somebody has to pay for it,"...

Only if they are allowed to. Apparently, doctors can no longer get together some funds and build a doctor-owned hospital.


7 posted on 12/19/2011 11:24:25 AM PST by C210N (Dems: "We must tax you so that we can buy our votes")
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To: surroundedbyblue
I spent more than a decade working with Certificates of Need for health care facilities around the country and know that they have done more to screw up health care than help foster competition. From the mid 1970’s under a federal mandate state health planning bodies used a ridiculous standard of 4 hospital beds per 1,000 population as the basis of their CON decisions. This ratio was taken out of context from one published article and the authors of the article disavowed using it as any standard. Other states adopted moratoriums on new nursing care beds that have been in place for decades despite aging populations. All of these ideas were based on the fallacious notion that “empty” beds were the root cause of excess costs.
8 posted on 12/19/2011 11:32:09 AM PST by The Great RJ ("The problem with socialism is that pretty soon you run out of other people's money" M. Thatcher)
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To: C210N

“...doctors can no longer get together some funds and build a doctor-owned hospital.”

100% correct: a provision of Obamacare. The best way to crush private care and rural Red State hospitals.


9 posted on 12/19/2011 2:06:34 PM PST by FormerACLUmember
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