None of what you will read here came as any surprise to me, because I’ve worked as an RN Case Manager in Home Health Care, and had ample opportunity to see how private business gouges the hell out of the taxpayer, by exploiting the illnesses of vulnerable and aging Americans in order to make the most profit possible.
But I have a brand new clear and current example to share to illustrate this, now that I am over 65, disabled, on very low income, thus qualifying for some services myself.
I qualify for an program in my state that uses a combo of federal and state money to help Elders remain in their home as long as possible. It will help pay for durable medical supplies and equipment, Home Health Aids, housekeeping support, meals: things Medicare doesn’t cover, for low income elders.
I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, (S.A,D), thus tend toward depression in the low light months here in Minnesota. I handle it nicely with light therapy, but my unit was broken in my last move. The Case Manager assigned said the grant would pay for another one for me, if Medicare wouldn’t.
She contacted a medical supply business the county has contracted with, who then called me to discuss the kind they could provide, and gave me a website to visit to see if it was acceptable to me. (note: I have researched these things extensively and know what I need) The one they would provide was only 5000 Lux, or half the power of all the other small units sold for the same price. (200.00: online pricing) So I gave her the URL for 10000 Lux unit, at the same price, for her to consider.
Yesterday, the Case Manager called me back with the news that the unit I wanted was over 425.00 and too costly. Whoa. I was looking at the online price of it as we spoke: $199.00.
So, bottom line: this medical supply Business would charge the Grant Fund (taxpayer monies) $ 425.00 for a Light Unit that could be purchased online for $200.00.
Over 100% profit.
This company, (one of several Medical Supply companies this county has awarded contracts to,) are the only places County Case Managers are allowed to use to purchase services and equipment.
Case Managers have no choice. They know full well the markups are as high as these companies can possible get by with. They are also painfully aware that Grant Funds like this are not nearly sufficient to meet the needs of so many Elders and people with chronic illness/disabilities who need this kind of help now.
THIS, people, is the inevitable outcome of privatization of our Health Care system, and turning it over to profit making business and “free market” principles.
How anyone could ever have thought this could EVER be a cheaper way to provide health care simply boggles my mind. Any fool knows private for profit business will strive to make as much profit as the market will bear.
I’ve been shouting this from the rooftops for so many years I’ve nearly lost my voice.
So many of us have.
And so few have listened.
THIS is why health care costs have sky rocketed beyond belief in this country!
And why, no matter how much tax payer money is dumped into this kind of for profit system, there will never be enough to go around to care for all the sick and the aged who deserve decent care. It goes into the pockets of businesses like this one, who has to make 100 plus percent profit off the fact I am old,poor and have S.A.D, and the fact they can get their hands on guaranteed easy money from sleeping taxpayers pockets.
MEDICARE IS NOT BROKEN!
It is simply being exploited all to hell and back by private Corporations, for as much profit as they can possible squeeze right out of it, in a million different “legal” and illegal ways. Each for-profit segment of it, through the whole health care delivery system tries to make the most possible profit it can.
I guarantee you, this is “business as usual” across the board, at all levels of the health care delivery system, and has been, for years and years. It is the reason I am so glad to be finally done with my professional insider role: I couldn’t bear watching the most vulnerable among us so go without the quality care they needed, so some damned corporate bottom line looked good for the shareholders.
Nor could I bear seeing my role as a skilled hands on RN caregiver in long term care settings morph totally into making me into a pill pushing, paper-shuffling, corporate clone with little to no time left for me to even be with my patients at all.
I entered this profession 35 years ago when it was still a patient centered healing profession that most of us were “called to”. I have had to watch it be systematically destroyed and changed into a profit centered business where the patient most often comes last. Watching from bedside, witnessing the unnecessary suffering and yes early deaths, this has caused to the most vulnerable among us literally broke my heart into so many pieces it will can never totally heal.
I canceled my request for the light box because I know myself: not once could I use that thing without getting furious all over again about how I was exploited once more, this time as a client myself, so some Medical Supply business could have their 100% profit margin.
Nor could I ever use it without thinking about how TWO people with S.A.D could have this needed and effective treatment, for what mine cost the grant alone. Or thinking about the other older folks I know who are going without equipment that could help them stay mobile or otherwise keep them active and well, if there were only enough monies to go around.
I need new scooter batteries soon. I know I can get them at Batteries Plus for 135.00. I can just about guess what they what they would cost if purchased though a contract business by my Case Manager.
But I simply cannot participate in what is, to me a criminal activity and still sleep nights. I’ll find my own way to get what I need, just as I always have and quite successfully, too.
Of course, I intend to write another letter to the Editor, and then start some research how this is grant is being administered on county/state levels. I want to know how these contracts are awarded, by whom, and by what criteria. I want to know how these companies can get by with gouging the taxpayers like this, by exploiting the illness and aging of most vulnerable among us. I can find no reason to feel proud of being a citizen of a country that operates like this.