Conflict of interest?

[ugonow]

"Rick Scott's Medicaid Overhaul to Benefit…Rick Scott?
Florida's governor is pushing a privatization plan that could be a major boon for health care companies. Like his.

— By Suzy Khimm

Fri Mar. 25, 2011 12:01 AM PDT
Republican governor Rick Scott's push to privatize Medicaid in Florida is highly controversial—not least because the health care business Scott handed over to his wife when he took office could reap a major profit if the legislation becomes law.

Scott and Florida Republicans are currently trying to enact a sweeping Medicaid reform bill that would give HMOs and other private health care companies unprecedented control over the government health care program for the poor. Among the companies that stand to benefit from the bill is Solantic, a chain of urgent-care clinics aimed at providing emergency services to walk-in customers. The Florida governor founded Solantic in 2001, only a few years after he resigned as the CEO of hospital giant Columbia/HCA amid a massive Medicare fraud scandal. In January, he transferred his $62 million stake in Solantic to his wife, Ann Scott, a homemaker involved in various charitable organizations.

Florida Democrats and independent legal experts say this handover hardly absolves Scott of a major conflict of interest. As part of a federally approved pilot program that began in 2005, certain Medicaid patients in Florida were allowed to start using their Medicaid dollars at private clinics like Solantic. The Medicaid bill that Scott is now pushing would expand the pilot privatization program to the entire state of Florida, offering Solantic a huge new business opportunity.

"This is a conflict of interest that raises a serious ethical issue," says Marc Rodwin, a medical ethics professor at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. "The public should be thinking and worrying about this."
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With Scott's blessing, the Florida statehouse is currently hammering out the final details of the Medicaid bill, with a vote expected in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, Scott has moved forward on another front that could also bring new business to Solantic. On Tuesday, he signed an executive order requiring random drug testing of many state employees and applicants for state jobs. He's also urged state legislators to pass a similar bill that would require drug testing of poor Floridians applying for welfare.

Among the services that Solantic offers: drug testing"

[safeharbor37]

It's the same "conflict of interest" that a medical doctor who's serving in the legislature faces when voting on medical or health care issues. The important issue here is whether the legislation is good or not. Florida has a pretty good "government in the sunshine" law so that real "conflicts of interest" are usually exposed.
There's no harm in those most qualified taking political positions on what they best understand. I'm a huge fan of "Urgent Care Centers," having used one in a situation when I was walking around with undiagnosed pneumonia and the only alternative was the Emergency Room.

[henryclay]

Conflict of interest?

Let's talk about lawyers passing laws. Let's talk about Obama wooing the votes from the welafre crowd and then running the businesses into bankruptcy that once paid them. Let's talk about government labor unions threatening work slow downs and sick-outs if taxpayers don't pony up with more money and benefits. Let's talk about Democrat legislators jumping state lines en masse to avoid doing the people's work.. . . and drawing a paycheck while they do it. We could use soime of that tourist money around here if they don't want their own state tourist industry to get it.

Conflict of interest??? Not in my book. Go Scott. We need more hands on experience in more state capitals to bring things back into a workable system all over the country.

It's for sure we could use some of Governor Perry's "conflict of interest" type of leadership in Washington.

[ugonow]

Not every one sees it that way,it seems-----"Even at face value, the governor's privatization scheme is itself a mess, slashing funding and inviting fraud. But even if we put merit aside, Scott is pushing a controversial measure that stands to put millions of tax dollars into his own family's bank account, profiting from a government-run health care plan after running on a platform in opposition to government-run health care.

I also enjoyed Ezra's take on this: "In the 1990s, [Scott] made his money off single-payer health-care programs by cheating them. Today, he's making his money off single-payer health-care programs by running them. No matter how you look at it, it's a step up." " ---- I have to think if it were a dem governor, your opinion on it might be a bit different.

[safeharbor37]

Bottom line is whether it's a good plan or not. "Conflict of interest" is a red herring, at least in this case. Conflict of interest is very important in judicial proceedings because judges frequently make the decisions by themselves, but in the case of Governors or Presidents, they just sign the bills.
In any case, when you get down to the nitty gritty, it's either a good plan or it isn't. The devil in in the details. The issue should be argued on its merit, not ad hominem. Privatization is not necessarily a bad thing.

[ugonow]

IMO,it is a waste of tax money to drug test those recieving aid. The worst drug abuse is of prescription drugs.So then you have to determine if the drugs were legaly prescribed...think of how many elderly there are on aid and how much the lab tests will be so sort out thir chemicals. Or do you just test for pot and coke and ignore say the oxy and other pain killer addicts? Lab work is not free.

[ugonow]

Sorry, but in medicine, you can turn a quick buck doing alot of minor stuff on relatively healthy people so why then bother with difficult, rare or hard to treat and chronic problems?

Hmmm you would have to ask him what the medicare fraud cases were about. He even paid doctors cash for referalsaccording to records.

[ugonow]

But if you are abusing those drugs without a prescription,it is illegal. There is a distinction. BTW,I agree with your view on serious treatments vrs minor.

[EVT1]

Just another criminal politician getting more wealth from the trough- not even newsworthy anymore. Medicare fraud king seeks to take even more- he's just in the right place at the right time- they would try and privatize without him.

[EVT1]

Mar 27, 2011 8:35:30 GMT -5 Lady Gaga Gaga Snerd said:

On Tuesday, he signed an executive order requiring random drug testing of many state employees and applicants for state jobs. He's also urged state legislators to pass a similar bill that would require drug testing of poor Floridians applying for welfare.

That is fine as long as we are also going to do random tests on our Legislators and leaders as well. The last time i checked, they were being paid with tax money as well. And, if they want to make laws, then they need to subject themselves to the same laws.

And it is unconstitutional on its face- what a joke. This will be tossed out in record time. Big shock-a right wing politician that espouses less government intervention has no problem using the Constitution as a doormat when it suits them to use government to interfere in other peoples lives. What an enormous douche bag.

[safeharbor37]

Big shock-a right wing politician that espouses less government intervention has no problem using the Constitution as a doormat when it suits them to use government to interfere in other peoples lives.

When you put your hand out, it's you that's asking that someone interferes with your life. You remind me of those who refuse to go to the Salvation Army because "they make you go to church" and then whine that no one will help you. There are indeed assholes who demand that someone help them and then demand to dictate the terms of that help.

[EVT1]

[quote author=safeharbor37 board=politics thread=5434 post=217327 time=1301267219.[/quote]
When you put your hand out, it's you that's asking that someone interferes with your life. [/quote]

First- this is about state employees-a policy which has already been ruled unconstitutional- and unless the guy is a complete moron he knows this-so the passage of it at all is a joke and an insult to the law, not to mention, a waste of time. Second-regardless of what the right thinks- the Constitution applies to everyone- including welfare recipients. There is no exception for the people the right feel are beneath them.

It kills me how the GOP touts the Constitution left and right and then steps on it like this. I think their copy only has the second amendment.