Guest Post: the Slow Grind of Justice

ConclusionOnce again we find the use of the legal system perverted by one party in an effort to gain a business advantage over another entity.Aultman has used its non-profit status to shield the activities of a for-profit insurance subsidiary.  Perhaps someone thought that no one would sue a large non-profit hospital for the actions of the subsidiary.Aultman used the tired old refrain that “we don’t do that anymore” as a defense for past business practices that garnered questionable profits. This after the fact admission does not absolve them of responsibility for those actions.When all else fails Aultman uses the appeal that it reflects badly on the community. It really does not matter that they were the ones who engaged in this activity. Additionally they make the claim this will result in a decline in resources available when they profited from the original activity.These are old concepts to HCR readers. The use of the legal system, from law suits being filed against those who would blow the whistle, to grinding out appeals to bleed a person or organization dry, all in an effort to protect a questionable or even illegal activity. In this case there is still the issue of Mercy’s legal fees involved in Aultman’s appeal.Smaller markets are seeing a consolidation of hospitals and medical practices. The opportunity for one party to take advantage of this is growing as patients and doctors are presented with limited opportunities to seek appropriate medical care. ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: legal settlements Mercy Health System hospital systems Aultman Hospital Source Type: blogs