To evaluate proposed dismantling of traditional Medicare in favor of giving individuals vouchers to obtain "free market" health care, one might wish to examine current practices of large, corporate health care providers. Ten years ago HCA was a shaky (shady) company plagued by Medicare fraud investigations (which it settled for $1.7 billion). By 2010, HCA hospital profits had exploded. A California HCA hospital's Medicare reimbursements increased to $949,000 from $48,000 in 2006. Reimbursements at an HCA hospital in Florida jumped to $1.5 million from $69,000.

Source: New York Times October 22, 2024 01:24 UTC