I have seen this article from the Detroit News (via detnews.com) at least three times. Every single time, the right winger who posts/emails it only uses the first two paragraphs. The purpose is to show that health insurance reform is a bad thing.
You know... because it causes layoffs and stuff.
Remember; they ONLY post the first two paragraphs:
Beaumont Hospitals is laying off 40 to 50 administrators and managers, a move that comes as some 17,400 employees — including those being laid off — just received bonus checks.
The three-hospital system expects to wrap up the layoffs by year’s end as part of a reorganization triggered by health care reform. The layoffs, announced in an Oct. 4 newsletter, will save Beaumont $3 million to $4 million a year, said Colette Stimmell, a Beaumont spokeswoman.
Okay, that sounds bad, right? Bad economy, and hospital layoffs caused by health insurance reform; that truly sucks.
Well, not so fast. I told you; they only post the above two paragraphs, and they're counting on the likelihood that no one will actually go read the story.
Here's the next line:
No layoffs of health care delivery providers are planned.
In other words, folks, they're laying off administrators and managers. Do you know WHY they're laying off administrators and managers?
Several reasons, actually. The health insurance reform legislation standardized forms, so that all insurance companies use basically the same form; a much easier form to fill out, with less bureaucracy.
Also, hospitals used to have to jump through hoops just to get paid by insurance companies, and with health insurance reform, now they don't have to, Every insurance company in the country as to follow the same rules.
And the best part is, insurance companies can no longer deny claims, so the entire administrative apparatus in hospitals dealing with chasing down and verifying claims is no longer necessary.
In other words, even though it's only a few weeks old, we're already seeing the benefits of the health insurance reform package.
Always check the facts when a right winger presents you with any sort of argument. You'll find that they usually hide them from you; you have to dig.
