Letter to Sarah Bush Lincoln Boards

Note:

I sent this letter to the boards of Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center (the hospital) and Health System (out lying clinics and other interests). I am not sure where one begins and other ends.

When a single public health care institution  gains control of almost every aspect of the health care of a  community, there is little free market and thus no competitive force to control prices, give variety, and maintain quality. As a private non-profit they
 are able to maintain near absolute control due to their favored tax status and
ability to operate in relative secrecy. 

They also are able to assure that in spite of higher fees the public continues to come to them because over 90% of the doctors work for them and are obligated to and rewarded for sending business to them.
This is a perfect monopoly and assures out of control costs.       Dr. Don

4/29/11

To: Sarah Bush Lincoln Board Members

Re: Competition with Private Sector

Dear Board Members: 

Recently I noticed an ad in the Journal Gazette advertising massage therapy services at Sarah Bush giving a special discount through April.  This is an example of what I feel is an ever increasing trend where the hospital aggressively goes in direct competition with private business.

Because of the hospital system's size, resources, and tax exempt status, private sector massage therapists are placed at a competitive disadvantage.  This causes many to go out of business or struggle to survive. This is true of other private health care businesses as well.

   Sarah Bush (and Carle) employ 98% of the doctors.  These doctors are the gateway to  health care and are expected to funnel their patients into your own hospital system. Since your system seeks to cover every health care service, the private sector is unfairly left out.

This is not good for the community since the free market and private enterprise which helps control costs, improves service, and brings innovation, is eliminated.  Everybody loses.  When you eliminate the tax payers, eventually there will not be enough tax payers to pay the taxes.  

I know you have within your capability to essentially eliminate all private sector competition.  I plead with you to use restraint. Rather than aggressively competing with private business, why not encourage community health regardless of the provider.  Concentrate on the services your hospital system can uniquely provide.

Thank you for taking time to read my letter.

Respectfully yours,

Don Selvidge, DC

Mattoon, Il. 61938

P.S. I am sure as board members you want input from the public.  In this day and age the easiest way for the public to do this is through e-mail.  Would it be possible for each of the board members to have an e-mail address through the hospital so you can be accessed more easily?

What is Action for Affordable Healthcare (aah)?

I started the non-profit organization "aah" to help the public find solutions to their ever rising health care costs.

Those who have health insurance are in a desparate circumstances. Deductables and co-pays continue to increase dramatically while insurance premiums do the same. They know they cannot afford to go without insurance, but are increasingly finding it unaffordable.

Health care takes up 17.5 % of the Gross National Product in the United States (up from 5% in 1960) and continue to increase 2 times the rate of inflation. Health care expenses cause more bankruptcies than any other cause and keeps the public from gettting the preventative care they need to stay healthy.

I talked to a couple the other day age 66 and age 63.  He is on Medicare and has a number of health problems but she is healthy with no risk factors.  They pay $900 a month combined for their insurance premiums which erodes their retirement savings and only takes care of the basics without deductables and copays.

Another couple is covered by his employers insurance plan but their share comes to $6500 a year with a $4500 deductable.

Health care costs could be reduced by 50% if the free market were allowed to function in this industry.  As it exists, there is essentially no competition that brings prices down.  Medical facilities, doctors, drug companies, and insurance companies charge whatever they like.  The public must pay the price or do without.

I hope to make the public aware that we do not have to put up with the medical monopoly as it exists.
There are actions we can all take. Some of these are:

     -Insist that non-profit hospitals be transparent with their operations and finances.  This information most be timely, easily accessible, and content rich.
     -Encourage that Sarah Bush and Carle as tax exempt community health care facilities allow competition by allowing their employee doctors without penalty to refer to any willing provider and stop payment incentives to doctors for increasing business to their own institution.
      -That health care systems move toward having doctors operate their own independant or group practices where the competition is restored between providers.
      -That fees for services are easily available to the public so they can be compared.
      -Disclosure is made as to what percentage of a fee paying patient's bill goes to pay for free or reduced care for other patients.

Dr. Don Selvidge