Statement to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee
K.B. Forbes
Executive Director
Consejo de Latinos Unidos
May 26, 2005
An all-paid ocean cruise is one of the newest bribes offered by one so-called "non-profit" hospital to cover its unconscionable conduct.
Our organization has been fighting to change the egregious behavior of hospitals since 2001. In the last couple of weeks we have been wrangling with a so-called "non-profit" called Florida Hospital, the flagship operation of the "faith-based" Adventist Health System, in Orlando, Florida.
Why?
Because we brought members of an uninsured family that were denied services by Florida Hospital to meet with the professional staff of the U.S. House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee on May 9, 2005. Several days later, Florida Hospital contacted the uninsured Vega family on the early morning of Friday, May 13, 2005 with offers of a free ocean cruise and free services.
Rodney Vega, a six-year-old, and his mother Judith Montilla Vega met with Congressional staffers to outline their plight on Monday, May 9. Young Rodney had an aggressive brain tumor last year and Florida Hospital appears to have refused to help the family even though the child had only two weeks to live. The shocking fact is the so-called "Adventist" hospital did not help the Vegas who are practicing Adventists while Rodney's father is an Adventist pastor.
On Wednesday, May 11, the Judith Montilla Vega signed a HIPAA release allowing the U.S. House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee to discuss young Rodney's medical history. Two days later, Florida Hospital called the Vegas with "the bribe." Here is Judith Montilla Vega's written testimony given to us on Monday, May 16, 2005:
"I am taking this opportunity to let you know about a call that I received Friday, May 13, 2005 between 6:30 and 6:40 a.m. at my home. Ms. Marilyn (she did not tell me her last name) called me from Florida Hospital. After she introduced herself, she asked me for the name of my husband, and she wanted to know about my experience with my son, Rodney Vega, at Florida Hospital. I told her the name of my husband, and I explained that I had a bad experience with Rodney at this hospital, because last year (2004) when my son needed a very urgent surgery to save his life from his brain tumor (ganglioneuroblastoma IV), they did not help us. I told her, too, that they knew of my son's condition because they had some medical records on him. I said that thank God for the Consejo de Latinos Unidos, Rodney had the life-saving surgeries, MRIs, bone age tests, medical appointments and all medical services that he has needed. Marilyn agreed about the medical records. She told me she had them, and she apologized for the situation. Marilyn offered me free medical services at Florida Hospital for Rodney. This lady told me that this offer came directly from Florida Hospital's Vice-President. She said she wanted to review the results of Rodney�s last MRI in order to know more about my son's medical condition. She finally offered us a paid ocean cruise, too. She said that Florida Hospital can meet any wish Rodney had and they would be willing to pay for the cruise. I was so surprised with this call, because I do not understand the real reason why they called. When I really needed Florida Hospital, they did not help me with my son. Why now, a year later, are they calling me when, thanks to God, Consejo is helping us with our little boy? I met with Congress last week and now Florida Hospital is offering me cruises when my son would have been dead because of their lack of care or charity."
According to published media reports, Florida Hospital executives attempted to call the contact a �clinical� follow-up for young Rodney Vega. The problem is Rodney Vega was last seen by Florida Hospital three years ago, in 2002. Does it take three years for a follow-up and is everyone offered a free cruise?
As easy as it is for Florida Hospital to dish out bold face lies, we warn the committee today to be wary of slick or sugar-coated testimony given by the executives or nuns of non-profit hospitals. Although non-profit hospitals do wonderful life-saving work and give away millions in charity care and uncompensated care, the truth is after all the spin and all the public relations:
· the uninsured are still being charged three or four times more for the exact same care,
· executives are still being paid excessively, sometimes in the millions of dollars,
· the non-profits are still siphoning off billions in off-shore accounts.
Florida Hospital has said the most foolish things to cover their tracks just because the spotlight is on them. We believe the non-profit hospital sector will say anything, justify anything, plea and cry about everything, instead of focusing on the issues at hand since the spotlight is on them.
We appreciate the Committee's hard work and thank you for the opportunity to submit this brief statement.
Consejo de Latinos Unidos
818 S. Indiana Street
Los Angeles, CA 90023
(800) 474-7576
Fax: (323) 223-1400
www.consejohelp.org
K.B. Forbes may be reached directly on his cellular at (202) 320-1212 or kbforbes@hotmail.com