The New Medical-Industrial Complex
Proprietary Hosptials
physician owned private hosptials--11%
very fast growth
Proprietary Nursing Homes
Home Care
Laboratory and Other Services
very large and growing
Hemodialysis
due to medicare inclusion the industry grew phenominally
Income and Profitablility
"investor-owned buisnesses suppying health services for profit." does not include drug manufactureres
growing very quickly
immune to recession (?)
Why Have private Businesses in Health Care?
no evidence of improved quality and decreased costs
Some Issues
capitalist solutions don’t address the issue of a "right" to medical care
much of the research and care is tax supported so should they be making a profit on it?
basic laws of supply and demand do not function when the consumer is buffered by the insurance providers and the consumer is in immediate need of services
patients cannot be informed consumers
potential for private industry to abuse this system is tremendous
The Role of the Medical Profession
physicians should have no financial conflict of interests--complete seperation from the industry
AMA just says don’t abuse your power in this regard, but allows it
the physician should take the moral high ground by divesting himself of all conflicts of interest and only gaining income from the services he renders. this is necessary because the patient has no other choice but to trust him and his diagnosies.
Other Problems
Proprietary hospitals "cream-skim" which means they don’t take poor or very sick patients and instead send them to community hosptials--also no teaching program which reduces costs
issues with emphesis on proceedures not personal care
rich=lots of political influence
Some Proposals
need more information