New CQC Video Series Unmasks Abusive Practices by Nonprofit Hospitals
By Consumers for Quality Care, on April 15, 2024
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2024
Contact: press@consumers4qualitycare.org
New CQC Video Series Unmasks Abusive Practices by Nonprofit Hospitals
New CQC Video Series Unmasks Abusive Practices by Nonprofit Hospitals
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as the American Hospital Association holds its Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, DC, Consumers for Quality Care (CQC) has released a new video highlighting how hospitals often harm their own patients with abusive practices to boost their profits.
This video, the first in a series by CQC – a coalition of advocates, former policymakers, and 35 patient and consumer advocacy organizations committed to providing a voice for patients in the health care debate – introduces Robbing Hood. Evolving from his origins as an aide to those in need to the exact opposite – someone who takes from the poor and gives to the rich – Robbing Hood embodies the progression of America’s nonprofit hospitals. His evolution from hero to villain, from promoting charity to promoting greed, mirrors of that of many nonprofit hospitals in the United States.
“There was a time when nonprofit hospitals acted like nonprofits, helping to ensure that everyone in the community, including the poor, had access to affordable care,” said CQC board member Dr. Donna Christensen. “Today, however, the situation is the exact opposite. Nonprofit hospitals act more like businesses than charitable organizations, and patients are the worse for it, especially low-income patients who are already struggling financially.”
“Nonprofit hospitals are heavily subsidized by the public. Every year, they reap billions of dollars in local, state, and federal tax breaks while at the same time wringing as much profit as possible from their own patients. That’s not acceptable,” Dr. Christensen continued. “As the adage goes, to whom much is given, much is also required. These hospitals should return to their roots as charitable pillars in their communities. If they don’t, then it’s up to policymakers to ensure that these hospitals are held accountable.”
In addition to highlighting abusive hospital practices with its Robbing Hood video series, CQC is issuing letters to state and federal lawmakers, urging them to do whatever they can to hold nonprofit hospitals accountable to the communities they serve.
###
ABOUT
Consumers for Quality Care (CQC), a coalition of advocates and former policymakers working to provide a voice for patients in the health care debate as they demand better care. CQC is led by a board of directors that includes the Honorable Donna Christensen, physician and former Member of Congress; Jim Manley, former senior advisor to Senators Edward Kennedy and Harry Reid; Jason Resendez, community advocate and health care strategist; and Mary L. Smith, former head of Indian Health Service.