Corporate Control of Healthcare

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Corporate Control of the Healthcare System

We have all heard the stories of people being refused care or medication based on what their insurance company will allow. The days of the Doctor deciding what care is needed are long gone. From being denied testing, medication, treatment, hospital stays or payments for services this problem effects us all.

One might wonder why the decisions made by our educated medical professionals are not being headed.

Add to this situation the almost insurmantable hurdles a private physican needs to go through to offer care and bill for their services the choices for healthcare are limited.

How Does Corporate Control Influence our Healthcare System

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Healthcare Corporate Vertical Integration

Healthcare Conglomerates own huge portions of the healthcare market incorporateing hospitals, insurance companies, drug stores, and others. This leaves little room for independents to exist within the system.

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For Profit Mega Corporations

For profit corporations run healthcare with profit at the forefront not patient care or quality of care. A 2011 study in Health Services Research found that for-profit chains had 13% higher risk of mortality than not-for-profits.

For-profit institutions have unique expenses (eg profits and high executive salaries) but receive similar reimbursements. Thus they must achieve the same outcomes while spending fewer resources on patient care. Cutthroat corporate profiteering and the humane provision of healthcare don’t mix.

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Popup Upscale Healthcare Clinics

These for profit healthcare offices tend to pop up in afluent areas not in areas with underserved populations.

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More issues about healthcare control

More info on this.

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Healthcare Lobby and Special Interest Groups

Health care corporations, including hospitals as well as insurance and pharmaceutical companies, are wealthy special interest groups with swarms of lobbyists influencing state legislators. With vast media PR, they have convinced the public of their solution to control spiraling health care costs.

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Insurance Companies Denying Treatment or Medication

It is commonplace for insurance companies to deny doctor ordered care with a simple explanation: “not covered.” Medication is changed without physician authorization, diagnostic procedures are denied, and hospitals pressure doctors to discharge patients, sometimes too early. Why are educated professionals a marginalized in medical decision making within their own field.