With Republicans eager to contract out all government sponsored health care to the private sector, insurance companies and providers are setting themselves up for the upcoming bonanza. Heck, the President’s own staffers have seen the handwriting on the wall and are doing their best to accommodate the shift. The top Veterans Affairs official in charge of health care just announced his career change to the private sector. AP news had this report:
Jonathan Perlin, VA's undersecretary for health, will step down on Aug. 11. Perlin, who has been with the VA since 1999 and has held the top health post since 2004, will become a senior vice president and chief medical officer at HCA Inc., a Nashville, Tenn.-based hospital company.
Mr. Perlin is joining HCA, the same for-profit hospital company started by the Frist Family. Bill Frist happens to be the Senate Majority Leader and a member of the Senate Finance Committee. Senator Chuck Grassley, Finance Committee Chair just announced his preference for taxing non profit community hospitals due to their "unfair tax advantage" relative to their for-profit brethren.
Rep. Bill Thomas, a longtime friend and stooge for stockholder hospital companies, held his hearing on the matter in 2005 after a $30,000 donation from two for profit hospital groups. Bill will step down as Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee later this year Will he join Mr. Perlin at HCA or join an insider lobbying house? Might Rep. Thomas end up employed or on the board of an investment company specializing in health care, maybe even kidney dialysis?
Both parties have their ex-government servants intertwined on corporate boards and in lobbying houses. From their seamy backrooms, the deals are made. The Republicans happen to be better at it, but the Democrats seem determined to catch up. Just look at ex. Senator and future Presidential candidate Tom Daschle. He works for the same lobbying house as Senator Dole. Daschle also is on the board of an investment house. Similar to the famously insider connected Carlyle Group, Apollo Management specializes in taking over companies to make profits for their investors.
What’s really at stake in 2006? It is the power to send government business to their buddies and friends. At least that’s the view from here…now how can we get intel on the goings on in those seamy backrooms?
Did you know Chip Kahn, the current President of the For-Profit Hospital Lobby achieved Bush Pioneer status in 2004? The Federation of American Hospitals produced Tom Scully of Medicare Part D fame. He parlayed his position as the head of Medicare and Medicaid into a high dollar lobbying job for Alston & Bird alongside Dole & Daschle. Scully also landed a General Partnership with Welsh, Carson, Anderson, & Stowe, an investment house with a strong health care niche. The Carlyle Group is playing catchup in health care and with very good reason. Let the Bush contracting bonanza begin!
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