WASHINGTON — Nestled on an island 30 miles out to sea, Nantucket Cottage Hospital is the only rural hospital in Massachusetts, as defined by the federal government. Its weathered cedar shingles and widow’s walk evoke the bygone era of its founding a century ago, when the hospital consisted of just three tiny cottages.
But the 19-bed hospital on the tony island, where the number of residents balloons from 10,000 to 50,000 each summer and the median home price hovers north of $1 million, has become a national symbol of inequity and political machinations in the way the federal government reimburses hospitals for treating Medicare patients.
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What a revoltin predicament this is. Wages to health care workers are paid decent wages and several other states who choose to decrease medical industry employees income are crying foul because Massachusetts is getting more than they are. This is the polar opposite of class warfare. It is an internectine struggle. Those employed by hospitals are not Wall Street hedge fund managers or speculating financiers or tax dodging corporations. This fix will be on the backs of people who actually earn their money. The people in this society who have not rationally earned their dollars get off scot free by making solidly middle class citizens fight among themselves on what they deserve.
If this was the only compensation 'loophole' in the US health care system, it would be manifestly unfair, but it's not, and only points up the need for true, sweeping reforms. Alas, I do not hold much hope...
It's interesting that Partners Healthcare is at the root of the issue.
Partners Healthcare did not write the law and is not the only recipient of the money.