The Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing added:
"We need to do everything to support health care workers on the front lines of this pandemic, and we want to make sure they get the resources they need to care for patients and protect themselves. At the same time, federal funds should not be used to bail out private equity firms during a public health emergency, especially when there are no federal surprise billing protections in place to protect consumers at their most vulnerable."
Private equity firm KKR owns Envision Healthcare, a prominent medical staffing firm.
One anesthesiologist speaking anonymously for fear of retribution reported his base salary was cut 30% while being required to intubate COVID-19 patients, elevating exposure risk to himself and his colleagues.
He said:
"My hope in any type of bailout going toward health care providers is it should go to them. It should not be going toward rewarding executives or shareholder profits. Anybody actually coming in physical contact is taking all the risk, so that's where the relief should be going."
This is a perfect example of how laissez-faire capitalism, normally corrosive to Democracy, poisons it at a time when we need to set profit aside for compassionate policies government has the role and duty to provide.
There is no better time for a Medicare-for-all single-payer national healthcare system.
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