1. Big scandal over how a Tenet hospital in Florida was badly failing state standards for child cardiac care. These were standards that have been around for nearly 40 years, and made Florida a national model for such things. The hospital had a disturbingly high rate of child cardiac deaths.
The brouhaha was enough that the hospital CEO resigned and the hospital shut down the pediatric cardiac surgery unit.
2. Tenet makes major contributions to the GOP in Florida.
3. The GOP administration of Rick Scott gets rid of the standards. Which won't save lives, of course, but does mean that people can't complain about hospitals owned by big donors not meeting standards, if there are no standards to meet.
A Florida judge has ruled the standards can be nixed because concerned parents haven't proven that their loss will mean quality of health care will go down. After all, the judge noted, most people have a natural inclination to do quality work, so regulations aren't really necessary.
There are other shenanigans described (the state leaning on a medical group to not write critical reviews of the hospital in question, or even discuss the problems there, etc.), but you get the picture.
Best government money can buy.
Florida dumps hospital standards after gifts to GOP – CNN.com
The state of Florida is putting kids with heart defects at risk, cardiac doctors say, because of a change in policy that came after contributions to Republicans.
Of note: Rick Scott was also once the CEO of Columbia/HCA (Hospital Corporation of America).
Feel free to make your own assumptions about how that might relate to this situation.
This is what happens when you elect Lord Voldemort….er….a criminal, as Governor and then keep re-electing him. I have family in FL and try not to tell them what I think of medical care in that State.
Anyway….it’s not like these babies died from abortions. That would be wrong. After they’re born though, fair game.
People also have "natural inclinations" to protect their own interests, money, turf and allies, particularly as against others who cannot or do not speak for themselves. Textbook definitions: children and sick people. See "moral hazard." (For-profit) medical insurance providers are moral hazard Exhibit A.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_hazard
+Peter Bauck The scandal and regulatory action at HCA when he left certainly might further color his instincts here.
Less regulation = Dead kids.
Simple as that. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Obviously, the people involved would never send THEIR kids there.
Republicans party is just for rich class that means if their kids have to go to the hospital than thay will take tham to a top of the line hospital with the beast benefits that taxs payer for out of ower taxs
Hospitals compete for patients, especially for specialty care. I predict Tenet take a bug financial hit for this.