The Presidents Nun - Obamacare Scranton Scandal Explodes

*That's the title of the article

The American Spectator

A mushrooming political battle over ObamaCare involving the White House, two incumbent Pennsylvania congressmen, three Catholic hospitals and a nun has just exploded in, of all places, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Charges from the Scranton medical community of intimidation by the Obama White House and its allies are filling the air.

Read more at the link. It gets interesting. This has everything .... Hospitals, some running for nearly a hundred years, having to close because Obamacare was the final straw that broke them; The White House (allegedly) intimidating hospitals; a whistleblower type nun who has a very sturdy reputation spilling about Obamacare being the final cause of closing; denials by higher ups in the hospitals; etc etc.

The story says this about the whistleblower 'social justice' (read .. leans left) nun -

Selected as one of Time magazine's "2010 Time 100" most influential people, Sister Carol's social justice passions were written up glowingly for Time by one of the other Obama 21 pen-receivers at the health care signing: Victoria Reggie Kennedy. AKA, Mrs. Ted Kennedy. Sister Carol, as demonstrated by her status as the receiver of a presidential signing pen, is clearly the President's favorite nun.

It looks like this nun went from Obama favorite and 'social justice' supporter to now state that she was wrong and that Obamacare kills hospitals. She's sticking to what she's saying. I don't know if she's right but it is certainly a 180 degree change from where she was. Reality of the unsustainability and costs of Obamacare hit??? Something else??? Dunno'. But this article alone talks of three Catholic hospitals in Scranton alone that can't continue to provide health care to people because of Obamacare costs.

Side note - I've been to Scranton many times. Seems pretty blue collar and 'salt of the earth'.
These people really need their hospitals up and running. The hit of three closing will be huge.

Oh .. and there was this interesting statement in the article -

Notification by insurers that rates were being forced up by ObamaCare resulted in a threatening letter from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to insurers warning that such candor would not be tolerated -- at risk of not being allowed to participate in a future government-run health care exchange for insurers.

Reminds me of waiver-gate.

Obamacare waivers - start with McDonalds and teachers unions
Obamacare is unsustainable and many, if not most, corporations and business can't afford it. The Obama administration started quietly handing out 'waivers' to corporations and the like. The Obama supporting and left leaning teachers unions; Mcdonalds; etc. But it looks like the Catholic Hospitals, who aren't big Obama supporters, are being forced to go through with Obamacare which (allegedly) is the final straw to put them out of business.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Maybe the goal of Obamacare was to give more power to large corporate hospitals, and put the independent hospitals providing alternative treatments at a reduced cost out of business. Maybe this is less about government control as it is about giving corporations exclusive control of the health care industry.

reply to post by ExPostFacto

I didn't even think of that. The big business element! Obamacare = certain big business gets bigger and the independent (read .. uncontrollable) smaller ones are put out. I think you are on to something here! That makes a lot of sense.

Look at the link for obamacare waivers. I'm now thinking this ties in perfectly. Waivers for those that they want to bring 'up' and no waivers and bankruptcy for those they want to be rid of.

ExPostFacto ... you are one smart cookie!

Sounds like the beginning of a joke...

Obama, two congressmen and a nun walk into a bar...

It's a political hit piece, from the american spectator, a hard line right wing publication.

reply to post by ExPostFacto

Well said.

It will be interesting to see who may 'save' these hospitals.

Will Govt step in, or,
Big Corporation takes them over.

reply to post by whatukno

It's a political hit piece,

Is the nun a real person? Did she say the things that they say she did? Or is this fiction? I hope someone gets to the bottom of it.

reply to post by whatukno

Is the article wrong?
According to you the source is biased.
But ... is it wrong?
Is the nun, who was a big supporter and who Obama liked .. wrong?
Too soon to tell. It has to be investigated.
We can't say if it's a 'hit piece' or if it's a whistleblower type situation on Obamacare.
Are the waivers for the corporations real ... or is that story wrong too?
hmmmm ....

reply to post by FlyersFan


Truth be told, I'm not sure that the new health care reform bill should be labeled as "Obamacare" at all.

A more appropriate title would be "Obstructionist-Care" since it was the refusal, by the republican obstructionist in the senate, that disallowed a seat at the table for "Single Payer" and/or "Public Option" representatives. It was the republican party that was intent on protecting the private health care insurance industry and the end result is nothing more than a distorted version of the original intent of the Obama health care reform initiative.

Given time, I'm confident that the current health care reform bill will be amended to include at least one of these options. Hopefully, prior to the 2014 trigger mandating that everyone purchase insurance from private insurers.

This mandate to purchase from a "private insurer" is probably the single biggest objection that democrats have with the plan. It is the reason for their disappointment with the Obama administration and the democrats in the senate who would not stand up to the obstructionist and demand fair representation at the table.

Even though we live in a capitalistic society, there are some functions that should be performed on an "all inclusive, not for profit" basis. Functions including but not limited to, police protection, fire fighting and rescue services as well as health care for all.

Change comes slowly and those who are earning record profits from private health care insurance will not give up easily. I think the nun has her culprits mixed up, after all her expertise is in the field of religion, is it not?

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Reminds me of waiver-gate.

Reminds me of most of your ops...BS.

Why not actually research once in a while?

Let's start with the "Nun" and her organization....The Catholic Health Association

From a week ago..

Alarmist News Reports About Catholic Hospitals Are False

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 08, 2010) — The following statement is being released by Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, president and chief executive office of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA):
Recent news and blog reports have assigned false motives to the proposed sale of Mercy Health Partners facilities in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Based on statements from local hospital leadership, we are confident that the health system is moving forward with a possible sale because it is in the best interests of the community.

Reports that health reform is the primary motive behind the sale are completely false, misleading and politically motivated. Deliberations to sell the facilities began well before the Affordable Care Act became law and did not hinge on enactment of the legislation.

www.chausa.org...

Now what I'd like to see is the political hack at the "American Spectator" sit down on camera and explain to Sister Carol Keehan why he concocted this lie and felt the need to include her in the falsehood...

The new GOP motto....Yes we will! We will sink as low as we need to go. Smear a Nun and tell lies about her? You got it! uhhhh..as long as we can do it on the internet and don't have to face her.

Originally posted by maybereal11
Reminds me of most of your ops...BS.

And you should have been banned years ago. Backatchya :shk:

Why not actually research once in a while?.

Why not read the post and the article?
It clearly states that people over his DISAGREE with her.
The controversy was clearly stated.

The waivers could back up what she is saying and back up the corporate involvement allegations.
So the link was provided.

reply to post by Flatfish


Health care is a commodity. When it is run any different, it doesn't work out so well.

Doctors go to school and work very hard to get their degrees. They have earned their salaries. Hospitals are places of business and deserve to be able to make enough to stay afloat and pay their employees. State run hospitals in other countries, for the most part, may provide health care at lesser cost to the patient (paid for by increased taxes on the workers), but the health care isn't better. That's why people in Canada cross the border to come to America for health care.

Wish it could be free for everyone .... I really do. But it can't work that way.

reply to post by Flatfish


It isn't true that it was the republicans who refused to allow single payer advocates into the discussion. I have neither the time nor the inclination to wade through all that again, but I believe what really happened would be in the archives at Firedoglake. My memory (which may or not serve) is that it was Obama himself who took out single payer, connected in some way to either/ or the pre-debate deals with PhRma/ the insurance companies.

It was ambiguous, as the bill was being hashed out, whether the republicans refused or were denied "a seat at the table" or some of both. I am not merely "sticking up for them" in all this- only more ticked off at the democrats. The most I will give them is that they *might* have been more likely to heed constituent protests. Considering that it's unlikely that a healthcare bill would have come from that "side", it's a moot point.

reply to post by FlyersFan

Read more at the link. It gets interesting. This has everything .... Hospitals, some running for nearly a hundred years, having to close because Obamacare was the final straw that broke them

Wow...I think you are the biggest distorter on ATS.

No hospitals are CLOSING....NONE...ZERO....ZIP. They are selling the hospitals...probably to another health group...it happens all the time...been happening for the past decade. More and more small hospitals are grouping together under a larger health group. NOTHING to do with the Health Care Reform.

And the WHOLE article is about the CEO of the hospital saying that media and special interests groups (and YOU) are distorting what he said. He in fact said that the Health Care Reform is NOT....I repeat...IS NOT....the reason why they are having to sell the hospitals.


So I only have one remaining question for you...do you honestly believe the stuff you post on here??? Or are you knowingly putting up distortions to try to influence other people???

Neither option is good...you either live in a warped fantasy world...or you intentionally try to mislead people.


So which is it?

reply to post by FlyersFan


I had to make another reply...because I'm not even sure if you read the article.

It looks like this nun went from Obama favorite and 'social justice' supporter to now state that she was wrong and that Obamacare kills hospitals. She's sticking to what she's saying. I don't know if she's right but it is certainly a 180 degree change from where she was..

NO...she doesn't say this in the article. In fact the whole article is trying to DISCREDIT what she is saying. Here is what she said...directly from YOUR ARTICLE.

Sister Carol says immediately that "false motives" have been assigned to the proposed sale of the three Mercy hospitals. Says the good Sister: "Reports that health reform is the primary motive behind the sale are completely false, misleading and politically motivated. Deliberations to sell the facilities began well before the Affordable Care Act became law and did not hinge on enactment of the legislation."

So where are you getting that she has stated that "Obamacare" kills hospitals?????

SERIOUSLY...her quote says THE EXACT OPPOSITE...WTF were you reading?

Reality of the unsustainability and costs of Obamacare hit??? Something else??? Dunno'. But this article alone talks of three Catholic hospitals in Scranton alone that can't continue to provide health care to people because of Obamacare costs

NO...it doesn't. It has ONE quote where the CEO says it played a "role" but wasn't the cause. Then he revised his statement TWICE to make it clear that the Health Care Reform DID NOT PLAY A ROLE IN THE DECISION.

The whole article is about wild speculation that this nun, backed by the white house, bullied the CEO into changing his position.


Seriously...did you read the article???

reply to post by FlyersFan


You don't sound like a Michael Moore fan but you might want to check out his documentary entitled "Sicko." It seems more than evident that "all inclusive, not for profit" health care works in every industrialized nation except ours and in most cases, with better results.

Just because some Canadians may come to the U.S. for some medical treatments doesn't mean that our health care system is better than theirs. There are also many Americans who travel abroad for medical treatments which are not available here and this will always be the case.

Furthermore, "not for profit" does not imply that doctors not be fairly compensated for their services or that hospitals should not be able to pay their bills. It only means that we remove the private insurer who acts as a middleman in the process and who's profits depend on not paying claims, not to mention the resources devoted to researching a reason to disqualify a claimant once a claim has been made. This money is being wasted when it could be providing health care to the uninsured.

Originally posted by OutKast Searcher
Wow...I think you are the biggest distorter on ATS.

I'd have to get in line behind you first.

The article itself says the woman is going back and forth.
The article clearly states that those over her disagree with her.
The controversy was clearly stated. (At least I thought I clearly stated there was controversy.)
It's a freak'n mess.
And no where did it say they were selling to another health group.
Even if they were, the point is that some think that Obamacare was the last straw.

Some here think that it could be a matter of business manipulation.
Give waivers to those they like .. put others out of business whom they don't like.

As for your continued insults ...
I suggest you check the T&C and stick to the topic instead of blathering about the posters.

Originally posted by Flatfish
Truth be told, I'm not sure that the new health care reform bill should be labeled as "Obamacare" at all.

A more appropriate title would be "Obstructionist-Care" since it was the refusal, by the republican obstructionist in the senate, that disallowed a seat at the table for "Single Payer" and/or "Public Option" representatives. It was the republican party that was intent on protecting the private health care insurance industry and the end result is nothing more than a distorted version of the original intent of the Obama health care reform initiative.

A minority party can't pass laws without majority help and a Presidential signature. The Democrats are in the majority, they own it, Obama owns it. Lets not fool ourselves please. Everything that has happened in the past 2 years are purely Democrat and purely Obama, there is nothing the opposing party can do about it. All the spending that happened in the past 4 years are purely from a Democrat Congress. The only reason why there is any Republican "input" is because the Democrats need a someone to blame when Obamacare blows up in our faces.

Originally posted by ExPostFacto
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

Maybe the goal of Obamacare was to give more power to large corporate hospitals, and put the independent hospitals providing alternative treatments at a reduced cost out of business. Maybe this is less about government control as it is about giving corporations exclusive control of the health care industry.

Of course it is, I mean who TH in their right mind would put a plan in operation that forces us to "BUY" INSURANCE FROM AN INSURANCE COMPANY"????
We the people is no longer it is now "We the corporation" and screw the people!

reply to post by FlyersFan

The article itself says the woman is going back and forth.

Please provide quotes. The only person the article says is going back and forth is the CEO, Cook.

Back up your claims.

The article clearly states that those over her disagree with her.

Again, please provide quotes. Please provide a quote or a source that PROVES that they are selling (not closing) the hospitals BECAUSE of the Health Care Reform.

The controversy was clearly stated. (At least I thought I clearly stated there was controversy.)

There is no controversy...at all...there is the writer of this article participating in wild speculation. Trying to do a Glenn Beck connecting this person here...that person there....BOOM....they are all Nazis.

If it is SO clear...please summarize it. Shouldn't be hard since it is SO CLEAR to what the controversy is.

And no where did it say they were selling to another health group.

I never said they did...but it is a likely inference. Do you know anyone else that buys hospitals besides health care groups? It doesn't really matter who they are selling it to...THEY ARE SELLING IT....NOT CLOSING IT.

Will you at least admit that you are lying about that point?

Even if they were, the point is that some think that Obamacare was the last straw.

NO...no one thinks that....no where in the article did it say that.

I feel like I'm repeating myself (BECAUSE I AM), but please provide a quote from the article that says "Obamacare was the last straw".

Some here think that it could be a matter of business manipulation.
Give waivers to those they like .. put others out of business whom they don't like.

Some here think a lot of things...some here think that Obama is a reptilian alien antichrist...I wouldn't be too quick to jump on ATSers "thoughts" as proof of anything.

As for your continued insults ...
I suggest you check the T&C and stick to the topic instead of blathering about the posters.

Where did I insult you? I questioned you a lot...I'm sorry if you see that as an insult.

Now how about you stay on topic....I addressed EVERY SINGLE statement you made to me. You have yet to address anything I have said. I'll be waiting...

Again, please provide quotes. Please provide a quote or a source that PROVES that they are selling (not closing) the hospitals BECAUSE of the Health Care Reform.

The Catholic Hospital is being forced to close it's doors. It will no longer be that hospital and therefore it is closing. It is UNKNOWN if it will be a different health care provider. You are assuming and projecting that. It was already stated that it wasn't just because of Obamacare. As for a source .. I already said this ..

"Health care reform is absolutely playing a role. Was it the precipitating factor in this decision? No, but was it a factor in our planning over the next five years? Absolutely."

You want to infer that this is being sold and will be another hospital ... but this statement infers that Obamacare was ABSOLUTELY playing a role in their decision to close their doors.
I

f it is SO clear...please summarize it.

Already did. I got the 'he' and 'she' backwards but the facts are there that the original statement said Obamacare was a factor and then suddenly ... poof ... it's not.

I never said they did...but it is a likely inference.

So you can infer something from the article ... but others can't infer things that seem pretty obvious to them?
How wonderful for you. How elite.

THEY ARE SELLING IT....NOT CLOSING IT.

The CATHOLIC hospital is closing it's doors. It will no longer be a CATHOLIC hospital.
It has NOT been stated that it will be any kind of hospital in the future.

Will you at least admit that you are lying about that point?

I'm not lying. The Catholic Hospital is closing. What it will be in the future ... dunno.

provide a quote from the article that says "Obamacare was the last straw".

See previously provided quote.

Where did I insult you?

"Wow...I think you are the biggest distorter on ATS....do you honestly believe the stuff you post on here??? Or are you knowingly putting up distortions to try to influence other people???...you either live in a warped fantasy world...or you intentionally try to mislead people."

Now how about you stay on topic....

Considering the above ... you'd best take your own advice.