Tenet and the Money-Making Hospital Business

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Tenet Healthcare went from near bankruptcy to become the nation-s second largest hospital chain with 113 facilities in 16 states. Now, it-s under investigation for cashing in on Medicare, and two of its doctors are accused of performing expensive procedures that weren-t needed. Even the company-s CEO says his own aggressive strategies don-t look good, but he claims they were not illegal. Does Tenet demonstrate that Americans are paying too much? Is it time for another look at a -single-payer- health system? We get more perspective on these healthy hospital profits from members of the nation-s largest hospital workers- union, a regional trade organization that represents private and public hospitals, and the director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute. Newsmaker: Israel Rolls Into Bethlehem After yesterday-s deadly bus bombing in Jerusalem, Israel has struck back hard on the West Bank. In Jenin, a UN official was killed by a stray bullet as Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen. The City of Bethlehem is now under Israeli control. Joshua Hammer, author of the forthcoming A Season in Bethlehem: Unholy War in a Sacred Place, is in Jerusalem for Newsweek magazine. Reporter's Notebook: General Clark May Run for President Army General Dwight Eisenhower, the first Commander of NATO, went on to become the President of the US. Now, another former NATO commander may have his eyes on high office. Wesley Clark, who purportedly was forced to resign over his criticism of the Pentagon during the fighting in Kosovo, is an investment banker in Little Rock, Arkansas. He-s reportedly considering a presidential campaign-as a Democratic.
Tenet Healthcare went from near bankruptcy to become the nation-s second largest hospital chain with 113 facilities in 16 states. Now, it-s under investigation for cashing in on Medicare, and two of its doctors are accused of performing expensive procedures that weren-t needed. Even the company-s CEO says his own aggressive strategies don-t look good, but he claims they were not illegal. Does Tenet demonstrate that Americans are paying too much? Is it time for another look at a -single-payer- health system? We get more perspective on these healthy hospital profits from members of the nation-s largest hospital workers- union, a regional trade organization that represents private and public hospitals, and the director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute.
  • Newsmaker: Israel Rolls Into Bethlehem
    After yesterday-s deadly bus bombing in Jerusalem, Israel has struck back hard on the West Bank. In Jenin, a UN official was killed by a stray bullet as Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen. The City of Bethlehem is now under Israeli control. Joshua Hammer, author of the forthcoming A Season in Bethlehem: Unholy War in a Sacred Place, is in Jerusalem for Newsweek magazine.
  • Reporter's Notebook: General Clark May Run for President
    Army General Dwight Eisenhower, the first Commander of NATO, went on to become the President of the US. Now, another former NATO commander may have his eyes on high office. Wesley Clark, who purportedly was forced to resign over his criticism of the Pentagon during the fighting in Kosovo, is an investment banker in Little Rock, Arkansas. He-s reportedly considering a presidential campaign-as a Democratic.

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Warren Olney