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Obamacare: Hospital stops delivering babies; price controls

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:26 pm
by _bcspace
WINDBER, Pa. (AP) — A southwestern Pennsylvania hospital will stop delivering babies after March 31 because its obstetricians are either leaving or refocusing their practices, and because hospital officials believe they can't afford it based on projected reimbursements under looming federal health care reforms.

The Windber Medical Center, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, is losing two obstetricians and two others are shifting their focus more to gynecology.

Hospital officials say the population of women of child-bearing age is dropping and that the number of births the hospital would be called upon to perform isn't enough for it to provide the service in the face of lower reimbursements under the federal Affordable Care Act.

The hospital delivered about 200 babies each year since restarting its obstetrics program in 2005.

Officials aren't sure how many jobs will be lost.

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20603065/southwestern-pa-hospital-to-stop-baby-deliveries


Economics 101. Price controls always lead to less supply and/or less quality.

Re: Obamacare: Hospital stops delivering babies; price contr

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:01 pm
by _lulu
bcspace wrote:
WINDBER, Pa. (AP) — A southwestern Pennsylvania hospital will stop delivering babies after March 31 because its obstetricians are either leaving or refocusing their practices, and because hospital officials believe they can't afford it based on projected reimbursements under looming federal health care reforms.

The Windber Medical Center, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, is losing two obstetricians and two others are shifting their focus more to gynecology.

Hospital officials say the population of women of child-bearing age is dropping and that the number of births the hospital would be called upon to perform isn't enough for it to provide the service in the face of lower reimbursements under the federal Affordable Care Act.

The hospital delivered about 200 babies each year since restarting its obstetrics program in 2005.

Officials aren't sure how many jobs will be lost.

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20603065/southwestern-pa-hospital-to-stop-baby-deliveries


Economics 101. Price controls always lead to less supply and/or less quality.


Or you could highlight it this way.

Hospital officials say the population of women of child-bearing age is dropping and that the number of births the hospital would be called upon to perform isn't enough for it to provide the service in the face of lower reimbursements under the federal Affordable Care Act


Why offer a service for which there is falling demand?

And why should health insurance premium payers or tax payers subidize a service for which there is insufficient demand?

Economics 101: falling demand leads to falling production.

Do you think women in the Pittsburg area will start giving birth at home?


With the closure at Windber, 6 News reached out to Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown. The hospital said it's ready, should it see an increase in patients. Dr. Bora Oezgueler just joined the team and is accepting new patients at his office in Richland Township.


http://www.wjactv.com/news/news/winder- ... ram/nTxrw/

Sounds like the way a free market is supposed to work.

What a country.

Re: Obamacare: Hospital stops delivering babies; price contr

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:37 pm
by _lulu
bcspace comes down here, farts, and then hurries and walks out.

Re: Obamacare: Hospital stops delivering babies; price contr

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:03 am
by _Tarski
lulu wrote:bcspace comes down here, farts, and then hurries and walks out.

as always

Re: Obamacare: Hospital stops delivering babies; price contr

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:05 am
by _beastie
lulu wrote:bcspace comes down here, farts, and then hurries and walks out.


I suspect he peeks in the window to enjoy everyone's reaction to the fart.

Sadly for him, we're so used to his farts by now most folks just roll their eyes and move on.

Re: Obamacare: Hospital stops delivering babies; price contr

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:27 am
by _Quasimodo
bcspace wrote:Economics 101. Price controls always lead to less supply and/or less quality.


This is, of course, horse biscuits! And certainly not economics 101.

I thought you were sounding a little desperate, bc, before the election, but you have gone way beyond that in recent days. Two or three unanswered threads a day.

I can understand how you might be feeling a little defeated, but the desperation evident in your posts has me a little worried.

Is there someone you can talk to about all this? Maybe a councilor?