Free Press? Don ' t Need No Stinkin ' Free Press - Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Tries to Intimidate Modern Healthcare Journalist

DiscussionIt appears that  respected reporter for a well-known US health care business publication was barred from participation in CMS conference calls after some rather mild reporting on his part offended CMS leadership.  There seemed to be an attempt to intimidate the reporter by a federal " contractor " paid by CMS, a contractor who was a criminal, that is, who had pleaded guilty to a federal crime of lying to the Conressional Ethics office.  How far have we descended.OnHealth Care Renewal we have been writing aboutattempts to limit free speech or free discussion in the press in the health care sphere for more than 10 years.  Through 2015, nearly every case we discussed involved large academic institutions, hospital systems, or for-profit health care corporations trying to limit criticism of their products, actions, leadership, etc. I do not recall any serious cases involving US government agencies.  After all, the US has a long tradition of freedom of speech and the press, enshrined in our constitution.However, in 2016, we started viewing with alarm the implications of candidate then President Donald Trump ' s apparent attempts to intimidate the press and citizens who exercise their rights of free speech (e.g., lookhere).  Now we have a US government health agency slipping into the role of thought police, and using the hired services of a federal criminal to intimidate a journalist.The anechoic effect is now being shrouded in much ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Management Tags: anechoic effect censorship CMS First Amendment free speech intimidation Source Type: blogs