Medicare Protection
Pledge Website
Privatization Archives
For-profit health care facilities ...
a) have higher death rates than not-for-profit facilities (1,2,3);
b) cost more (4);
c) provide lower quality services(5);
d) engage in schemes to cheat taxpayers (6,7,8);
e) compromise access to public services (9); and
f) provide less nursing care than not-for-profit nursing homes (10).
References:
(1) Devereaux, P.J., et al, "A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing mortality rates
of private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals", Canadian Medical Association Journal,
May 28, 2002; Vol. 166, No. 11
(2) Thomas, E., et al, "Hospital Ownership and Preventable Adverse Events", Journal of General
Internal Medicine, April, 2000
(3) Devereaux, P.J., et al, "Comparison of Mortality Between Private For-Profit and
Private Not-For-Profit Hemodialysis Centrers,"
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), November 20, 2002; Vol. 288, No. 19
(4) Devereaux, P.J. et al, "Payments for care at private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals:
a systematic review and meta-analysis", Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 8, 2004;
170 (12): 1817-24 / Woolhandler, S. et al, "When Money is the Mission - The High Cost
of Investor-Owned Care", New England Journal of Medicine, August 5, 1999, Vol. 341, No. 6
(5) Schneider, E. et al, “Quality of care in for-profit and not-for-profit health plans enrolling Medicare
beneficiaries,” The American Journal of Medicine, vol. 118 no. 12, December 2005
(6) Eichenwald, K., "Hospital Chain Cheated U.S. On Expenses, Documents Show",
New York Times, December 18, 1997
(7) Steward, G., "Public Bodies, Private Parts: Surgical Contracts and Conflict of Interest at the
Calgary Regional Health Authority", Parkland Institute/University of Alberta, March 5, 2001
(8) British Medical Journal (May 15, 2004), "NHS overcharged for private surgery"
(9) Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, "Myth: A parallel private system would reduce
waiting times in the public system", 2001
(10) Harrington, C., "Does Investor Ownership of Nursing Homes Compromise the Quality of Care",
American Journal of Public Health (September 2001).
Higher Death Rates in For-Profit Hospitals
Higher Death Rates in Private, For-Profit Dialysis Clinics
Health Care costs more, delivers less at
investor-owned for-profit hospitals: major study
Press Release | Backgrounder | Download Study
British Medical Journal (May 2004, BMJ 328:1158)
NHS overcharged for private surgery
Reality Check
For-profit ownership of health care facilities leads
to improved efficiencies in the system
MORE REALITY CHECKS
Public funds are for patients, not profits!