Two Dialysis Giants Want All Americans To Pay For Services of Others Instead of Medicare! The CEO of One Makes $27 Million a year, but that is not enough for him. The other list itself as a "Global" health care firm, prominently displays it Stock Prices on Its Home page and both are pushing congress to make dialysis patients to stay on private healthcare for 42 months before shifting to Medicare! Find out how much more they will they profit and we will pay through the nose from their greedy move in this article.
Two Dialysis Giants Want All Americans To Pay For Services of Others Instead of Medicare! Congress made a wise decision generation ago, and as a result most kidney patients have affordable access to dialysis care when the needed.
However, because of the avarice of two companies suddenly Congress is contemplating undoing the progress, reducing access to affordable care so two corporations that dominate kidney dialysis can hike-up their bottom line.
Such a change would drive up costs for all consumers. The question if why, what would motivate congress to do such an unempathetic thing?
Two companies-DaVita and Fresenius-provide the bulk of kidney dialysis services in America. They are both lobbying Congress to force kidney patients to remain on private insurance much longer before they can qualify for Medicare.
Usually, patients at 65 years of age can qualify for Medicare, however, in 1972, because the cost of dialysis was skyrocketing, only the very wealthy could afford it. Congress wisely intervened in the crisis by extending Medicare coverage to dialysis patients of all ages. However, even now patients who need dialysis must stay on private insurance for two and one half years (30-months) before being eligible for Medicare. DaVita and Fresenius want to make the requirement 42 months, adding another year to the wait. This would destroy a good many middle class families; just because these two firms want to make more profits. What is going on? Are congress people that stupid or just that greedy? In addition, how would the benefit the two companies DaVita and Fresenius who want to keep kidney patients out of Medicare? These companies would typically charge private insurers, ultimately employers and workers-close to three times what they charge Medicare for the same services.
DaVita and Fresenius would create an additional $200,000,000 in profits a year and with interest $2-$4 billion windfall over the next decade if Congress agrees.
Or course, the initial $2 billion would be paid by American employers and workers, and the rest is interest on the $2 billion. It is now a losing effort by most workers to make ends meet when they encounter a tragic illness, and their homes could be lost, pushing their survivors further below a generational poverty line. Now these two companies DaVita and Fresenius, want Congress to make the problem even more disastrous to working class Americans.
According to Forbes, the CEO of DaVita, Kent Thiry, made $27 million last year. He is the fourth highest paid executive in the healthcare equipment and services industry. Fresenius is also a profitable multi-national company.
If Congress even considers making multimillionaire Kent Thiry even richer over the pain and suffering and economic disaster of tens of thousands of American families making things even harder on such people and on all the rest of us, then Christianity as well as justice, in America are a dead issue.
I don't know about you, but if any of my Democratic congress folk vote for this issue, I will vote for whomever runs against them next time.
Send a copy of this article to congress people in your voting district, call Kent Thiry and yours and his Congress people and notify the news media and write letters to editors about this further effort of the rich making profits through the back door off the labors of you, I, and other working people. Enough of back door stealing from us.
Here is contact info: DaVita corporate office 601 Hawaii St El Segundo, CA 90245
Fresenius Unlike Davita, Fresenius does not list any street, phone or other contact information on two of their websites, which I visited. They do however call themselves a "Global" enterprise and do list the stock prices at the home page:
http://www.BagnoloArt.com
Professor Bagnolo is a Renaissance man: Cultural Anthropologist, Architectural designer, painter, writer, novelist, theologian. As a child prodigy, abed with polio for almost two years, with an off the charts IQ, reading at the graduate level by 5th grade, offered an opportunity to skip three grades at age 8. Later He was a recipient of an Art Institute scholarship at age 11, a Ford Foundation Fellowship in Anthropology and in Painting and a merit scholarship in art, and was appointed a Graduate Research Assistant position in college. He holds a triple bachelor's degree in Painting and Drawing, Anthropology, Architectural Design Advertising. MA's in Cultural Anthro, Painting and more. After being tenured he taught; architecture, anthropology, Theology, advertising, painting and drawing, entrepreneuring and Creative Profit Making. He produced a star-studded Music festival, had a radio talk show in Chicago, and cable TV show. Now, retired from Teaching, he paints, writes, and pursues other ventures.
The above bio harvested from the comments of Deans, colleagues, students, clients and collector's.
Money for the pols' coffers is the only answer to why congressmen vote for legislation that flies in the face of their constituants. Plus the fact that they don't read what they're voting for, they take the lobbyists word for what it says.
Why else would even one Dem have voted for the new bankruptcy law?
by
Sandy Sand (130 articles, 0 quicklinks, 151 diaries, 1160 comments)
on Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 5:13:42 PM
That's our bought and paid for Kongress. People are so het up about 'voting rights'---the russians had 'voting rights'--they got to vote for the party choices............hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
by
M. Davis (37 articles, 1 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 131 comments)
on Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 11:24:55 PM
What Peter failed to mention is that the cost to treat a patient for dialysis is more than the Medicare reimbursement rate. Dialysis companies charge more for private payors to offset this deficit. The large companies make profits because of volume, and they are in the business to make money. I'm sure no one reading this does their job for no pay, unless you are living off of society.
Besides, Peter mentions that Fresenius doesn't have their address on the web site. I found it in under 20 seconds. If he can't find something that easy, it makes me wonder if his emotions are ruling instead of logic. I'm glad he wasn't a professor where I attended college.
by
Jody Chambley (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments)
on Friday, November 23, 2007 at 3:17:02 PM
With all due respect, Jody, You may have missed it or not read the complete artilce but at the tail end of para 5 I said: " DaVita and Fresenius who want to keep kidney patients out of Medicare? These companies would typically charge private insurers, ultimately employers and workers-close to three times what they charge Medicare for the same services."
by
Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 94 diaries, 1201 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 6:19:00 PM
My Mother has been on peritoneal dialysis for 5 years. This type of dialysis can be done at home so the individual does not have to be hooked up to a machine. DaVita is the clinic that set her up with this dialysis procedure and Fresenius is the company that provides the dialysis solutions and supplies that are ordered by my Mother directly from Fresenius and delivered to her home by Fresenius.
Until I actually saw the billings myself I didn't believe the amount being charged for some of the services. Once every 3 months (four times per year) my Mom had to go to the clinic and submit a urinary sample collected over a 24 hour period. This sample would be sent to Florida ~ as that is the "only place where this test can be done" ~ where it was tested for impurities to see how well the dialysis was working. This test ALONE cost $26,000. Twenty-six THOUSAND dollars.... Four times per year. This is ONE TEST alone. (Since the time I saw the billing it has increased).
Mom has told stories of sitting in the clinic and speaking with other patients and how the enormity of their debt is killing them quicker than the kidney dis-ease.
This article illustrates how "Health Care" has been and continues to be an ideal of another time.
by
M. Yeager (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments)
on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 1:52:12 PM
I am sorry to hear of your mother's problem. I mwish there was something we could do to lighten this burden, but all I have to offer now is prayer and that you shall have right now.
Pete Bagnolo
by
Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 94 diaries, 1201 comments)
on Monday, December 3, 2007 at 1:48:10 PM
