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> Another possible solution is to find a way to eliminate the for-profit hospitals. Oh God, no. Did you read that incredibly-long and incredibly-powerful healt

by skue 13y ago

> Another possible solution is to find a way to eliminate the for-profit hospitals. Oh God, no. Did you read that incredibly-long and incredibly-powerful healthcare article by Time? Non-profit hospitals are among the worst offenders. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2136864,00.html http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2136864,00.... (subscription) Some of the most innovative hospitals are actually for-profit. Here's another great article by Atul Gawande comparing Steward Health System, which was founded by Cerberus Capital, to the Cheesecake Factory (but in a good way): http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/08/13/120813fa_fact_gawande http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/08/13/120813fa_fact_... > Medicare's solution - "It’s pushing providers to band together into accountable care organizations, or ACO, that get a flat fee for all care related to a patient." - sounds destined to fail from the outset to this layman. As an entrepreneur, I agree that it's a tragedy that HQP is being abandoned instead of scaled. But ACOs will absolutely have a financial incentive to keep patients out of the hospital and hire companies such as HQP. The problem is that this transition has yet to occur, so HQP is ahead of the market. Hopefully they can find smart investors in the meantime (perhaps this article will help).

ajtaylor 13y ago
I don't doubt that there are excellent for-profit hospitals. Chances are I've even used the services of one. One can find good things coming out of nearly every kind of business if you look hard enough. Please don't take the suggestion as anti-capitalist, because I'm not. My argument against them is simple: it's very hard to align the two goals of 1) making as much money as possible and 2) providing the best care possible, which in my mind means making their stay as short and inexpensive as possible. Even as a youngish person (late 30's), I don't want to go in the hospital at all and if I do have to go I want to be in and out as soon as it is safe to do so. The ultimate goal is to keep people as healthy as possible, and to spend the least amount of money to do so. This requires finding the right balancing point, but I'm positive it can be done if the political will exists.
- jacoblyles 13y ago
  > "I'm positive it can be done if the political will exists." In your lifetime, what major problem had the political will existed to solve it? As Moldbug says, we have a large government, but not a strong one.

by skue 13y ago

ajtaylor 13y ago

I don't doubt that there are excellent for-profit hospitals. Chances are I've even used the services of one. One can find good things coming out of nearly every kind of business if you look hard enough. Please don't take the suggestion as anti-capitalist, because I'm not. My argument against them is simple: it's very hard to align the two goals of 1) making as much money as possible and 2) providing the best care possible, which in my mind means making their stay as short and inexpensive as possible. Even as a youngish person (late 30's), I don't want to go in the hospital at all and if I do have to go I want to be in and out as soon as it is safe to do so. The ultimate goal is to keep people as healthy as possible, and to spend the least amount of money to do so. This requires finding the right balancing point, but I'm positive it can be done if the political will exists.

jacoblyles 13y ago
> "I'm positive it can be done if the political will exists." In your lifetime, what major problem had the political will existed to solve it? As Moldbug says, we have a large government, but not a strong one.