About those "healthcare" costs... - Granite Grok

About those “healthcare” costs…

 

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AT the very last minute, we find out that Mrs. Bill Clinton, NY Senator and Democratic presidential wannabee will be in our neck of the woods tomorrow (Laconia, NH) for a private meeting with the head of the local nonprofit medical industrial complex hospital and our local Democrat State Senator Kathy Sgambati. The Laconia Daily Sun reports that Hillary will
participate in what is being called a roundtable discussion about children’s health care…
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The New York Democrat, and former First Lady of the United States, will be joined at the roundtable by state Sen. Kathy Sgambati and LRGHealthcare President Tom Clairmont. Because of a limited room capacity, admission to the event will be by invitation only.
Heh, otherwise the "riff-raff" might get too close. Anyway, what makes this little private event so interesting is that is brings to the fore the future of the "healthcare industrial complex" in America– the joining of government and non-profit hospital elitists who will dictate healthcare to the masses (If we weren’t so politically correct here at the ‘Grok, we might even point out that the arrangement resembles what might have been called "fascism" in another era): Hillary with her nationalized system, and those who will benefit from socialism’s replacement of any market forces that might keep waste and corruption in check- hospitals, clinics, etc.
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LRGHealthcare, as the local "non profit" health-delivery institution is, for all intents and purposes, a monopoly. Through the years, they have worked all the machinations of government regulations to stifle any and all competition that has attempted to make its mark in the area. They have now either driven from business or purchased any effectively competing health-care delivery service that would bring any alternative choices to the area. With no market forces working against the costs, they rise exponentially.
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And yet,  Sgambati, Clinton, and yes, the CEO of the monoply himself, will undoubtedly decry the ever-rising costs of health care, especially for the poor, during tomorrow’s event. As they gather round wringing their hands (and licking their chops over the thought of seizing 1/7th of the US economy), one wonders how much inward reflection will take place. Will LRGHeathcare CEO Tom Clairmont look in the mirror and ask why health care in Central NH costs so much? Will the answer be, at least in part, the reflection staring back at him from the mirror? Does he care?
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As they lament rising costs that hurt "little people, do you suppose anyone will ask why the LRGHealthcare CEO’s salary rose nearly $134,000 in the span of just three years? Hillary is always bagging on the unfair money made by corporate CEOs in the private sector. What about those in the "non profit" world? As health insurance costs go through the roof for me and my employees, outpacing the rate of pay increases, it is apparent that those who are health care bureaucrats aren’t suffering in the least. 
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The following salary information for the CEO of LRGHealthcare, Tom Clairmont, was obtained from IRS Form #990, public documents filed with the IRS, for the reporting years as noted. The first figure following the year is the salary paid and the second is the retirement contribution made on his behalf.
  • 2002- $209,320–$16,705

  • 2003- $326,620– $23,094

  • 2004- $342,870– $24,124

Not bad, eh? Throw in the CFO, a handful of VPs, and a chief of staff, all well paid, and you’re talking some serious money here. Of course, if you ask any of these handsomely remunerated people why health care costs so much, they’ll blame the poor, the uninsured, insurance companies, the lack of reimbursement of medicare from the Feds, etc. Overpaid administrative overhead? No way!

Think Hillary will ask about any of this tomorrow during the roundtable? Why do you think it’s private?

 

 

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