Hospitals Make $120 Billion While Skirting Federal Transparency Law

Three of the largest for-profit hospital chains in the U.S. made a combined $120 billion in 2021, while violating federal transparency laws, according to an investigation by Patient Rights Advocate.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, the Affordable Care Act required hospitals to be transparent about what they charge patients.

The Hospital Price Transparency Rule requires providers to post prices for their medical services online in a “machine-readable standard charges list for all items and services for all payers and plans” as well as a “standard charges list or price estimator tool for the 300 most common shoppable services,” according to the report.

The idea was to promote competition between hospitals, thereby lowering prices.

The Patient Rights Advocate report found that only 14 percent of the 1,000 hospitals reviewed were compliant with these regulations, and only 0.5 percent of hospitals owned by the three largest U.S. hospital systems – HCA Healthcare, CommonSpirit Health, and Ascension – were compliant.

None of the HCA Healthcare system’s 118 hospitals were compliant, the report found, and those three large systems made a combined $120 billion (page 3).

Open The Books studied the largest non-profit health care providers in the country in 2019 and found that their revenues and assets continued to grow as consumer prices skyrocketed, all while receiving tax breaks for their “non-profit” status.

Patient Rights Advocate found that the cost to companies to comply with these transparency regulations would be $12,000 per hospital.

Why are hospitals so reluctant to post their prices? Fear of competition may play a role. If hospitals followed the law, consumers might shop around to find the best deals on their medical procedures.

The U.S. needs to enforce its laws to ensure hospitals are being transparent in their pricing, since they won’t voluntarily obey the law.

https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2022/04/11/hospitals_make_120_billion_while_skirting_federal_transparency_law_826022.html

Truckers block Mexico-Texas bridge over GOP Gov. Abbott's order for added safety inspections

Abbott's effort to make roads safer and to thwart illegal immigration and smuggling also has slowed commerce

Truckers working between Texas and Mexico have been blocking two busy bridges at the southern U.S. border, amid rising tensions over an order by the office of Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott for tighter safety inspections that also have purportedly slowed traffic.

The issue was ordered by the Texas Department of Public Safety and calls for "enhanced safety inspections" of vehicles crossing from Mexico into Texas – in an effort to apprehend human traffickers and others smuggling contraband cargo.

The inspections are part of a larger effort to address the ongoing illegal immigration crisis at the border, but are also apparently disrupting key industries.

One driver told Reuters that the situation has become "desperate," because "we have to wait up to 15 hours to cross into the United States."

Ernesto Gaytan, the chairman of Texas Trucking Association, said, "We are supporters of Governor Abbott, but unfortunately we weren't taken into consideration."

He also said illegal migrants rarely make their way into the U.S. via commercial trucks at legal ports of entry.

The public safety department says since the order went into effect, more than 2,400 commercial vehicles have been inspected, 552 of which have been removed from service for "serious safety violations," including brakes that don't work, tires in bad shape, and failing light systems. It is unclear if any smuggling attempts have been intercepted.

The blockades Monday at the Zarazoga bridge, which connects Ciudad Juarez to El Paso,Texas, and the Pharr bridge, which connects the Mexican city of Reynosa to Pharr, Texas, have prevented upwards of $30 million of fresh produce from reaching the U.S. ahead of the holiday weekend, also according to Reuters.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/order-texas-gov-abbott-angers-truckers-held-ports-entry-between-mexico-and-us

Pres. Biden doubles-down on calling Putin's invasion of Ukraine 'genocide.'

"I called it genocide because it’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being able to be Ukrainian…The evidence is mounting."

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1514017749089103883

Nationwide Protest Against CPS Trafficking To Rally Parental Rights Activists In July

Parental rights activists and freedom supporters will stage a nationwide series of marches and rallies on July 16, 2022 to protest human trafficking in the Child Protective Services (CPS) and foster care system. The pro-parent activists are sickened by the brazen corruption of CPS agents across the nation. CPS is used to rip children away from parents for vague or fabricated reasons and plunge kids into a world of widespread reported human trafficking in the government system.

“On March 6th 2022 I held a Nationwide March To End Human Trafficking And CPS Corruption,” organizer Annette Rauch exclusively told NATIONAL FILE. “21 states participated plus Vancouver BC joined us as well. People held seminars on that date, gave public speeches, handed out literature ,gave classes about Human Trafficking and CPS Corruption and some handed out books that they wrote on these subjects. My heart was filled with emotions. Thousands of people made signs that stated that they stood on behalf of The March 6th March To End Human Trafficking And CPS Corruption. Most signs also stated ” WE CARE.” And people proved that they truly do care. Some people were Marching with tears in their eyes on behalf of the victims.”

Annette Rauch added that “I’m pleased to say that due to the March 6th march people have informed me that they are lecturing in schools and corporations and have begun networks to educate the public on these subjects. We need many more people to do the same. On July 16th we will have another Nationwide March To End Human Trafficking. We need all 50 states to participate this time. Anyone and everyone is welcome to call me for more information. 332-200-0149.”

https://nationalfile.com/nationwide-march-against-cps-trafficking-to-rally-parental-rights-activists-in-july/

>>16063725

well hot dog

>>16063732

FAKE AF

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1513663967985553423

DC Solar CFO Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/dc-solar-cfo-sentenced-6-years-prison-billion-dollar-ponzi-scheme

Elite Healthcare Owner Sentenced to Two Years for Defrauding Health Insurer

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/elite-healthcare-owner-sentenced-two-years-defrauding-health-insurer

Muncie vigilante group's efforts lead to Portland arrests

PORTLAND, Ind. — The ongoing efforts of a Muncie-based social media group has resulted in felony charges against two Portland men.

In unrelated cases, Cory A. Gundrum Sr., 44, and Wayne L. Lanning, 45, have each been charged in recent days with child solicitation in Jay Circuit Court.

Authorities allege both men tried to arrange sex with juveniles when they were actually communicating online with members of the online group Predator Catchers Muncie.

According to affidavits in the cases:

Lanning in February requested nude photos from a person he believed was an 11-year-old girl, according to an affidavit.

On Feb. 21, he was confronted by members of Predator Catchers Muncie when he arrived at a Portland convenience store for a planned encounter with the girl, the document said.

During a later interview with a Portland police officer, Lanning allegedly admitted he was a "would-be child molester," and said he intended to have sex with the 11-year-old girl.

The child solicitation charge filed against him is a Level 4 felony carrying up to 12 years in prison.

Jay County Prosecutor Wes Schemenaur's office also filed documents accusing Lanning — whose criminal record includes convictions for arson and theft — of being a habitual offender.

• Gundrum is accused of soliciting sex with three Predator Catchers Muncie decoys — posing as girls between the ages of 12 and 14 — in December.

• He was confronted by members of the organization at his home along East Main Street on Jan. 30.

Gundrum is charged in Jay Circuit Court with two counts of child solicitation, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison, and obstruction of justice, a Level 6 felony with a maximum 30-month sentence.

https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/crime/2022/04/12/vigilante-groups-online-stings-lead-two-arrests-portland/7287439001/

Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders from Fort Stockton, Carrizo Springs Arrested

AUSTIN – Two of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders are back in custody following their recent arrests. Braulio Davila, of Fort Stockton, was arrested on April 3 in Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico. Joaquin Salgado IV, of Carrizo Springs, turned himself in to authorities on April 6. A Crime Stoppers reward will be paid in Davila’s capture.

Braulio Davila, 49, was arrested and then brought to the Del Rio-Acuna Port of Entry by Mexican authorities on April 4. He was subsequently taken into custody by U.S. authorities, including Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Special Agents and members of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office.

Davila had been wanted since April 2021, after the U.S. Marshals issued a warrant for his arrest for failure to register as a sex offender. In June 2021, the Pecos County Sheriff’s Office also issued two warrants for failure to register.

In 1993, Davila was convicted of sexual assault for an incident involving a 35-year-old woman and was sentenced to four years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison. In 2002, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to five years in a TDCJ prison. That same year, Davila was convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and was sentenced to 102 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In March 2020, Davila was arrested for a probation violation, and in March 2021, he was released from federal custody. Davila was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List on March 23, 2022. For more information on his arrest, view his captured bulletin.

Joaquin Salgado IV, 38, turned himself in to the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office on April 6. He had been wanted since August 2021, when the Ennis Police Department issued a warrant for Salgado’s arrest for assault causing serious bodily injury. The following month, the U.S. Marshals issued a warrant for his arrest for a probation violation. In December 2021, the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office issued warrants for Salgado’s arrest for assault causing bodily injury, terroristic threat and unlawful restraint. Warrants were also issued for Salgado’s arrest in March 2022 by the DPS Criminal Investigations Division for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.

In 2010, Salgado was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and sexual assault for incidents involving a 13-year-old girl and a 22-year-old woman. He was sentenced to eight years in a TDCJ prison. In 2019, Salgado was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol for smuggling migrants and was sentenced to federal prison. Salgado was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List on March 29, 2022. For more information on his arrest, view his captured bulletin.

Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Commission, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives or Sex Offenders. So far in 2022, DPS and other agencies have arrested 20 people off the lists, including six gang members and 13 sex offenders. In addition, $35,500 in rewards has been paid for tips that yielded arrests.

https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/texas-10-most-wanted-sex-offenders-fort-stockton-carrizo-springs-arrested

>>16064038

fake