Rick Scott on His Health Care Record

By
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 5:01 pm

I talked briefly with Rick Scott, the chairman (and major funder) of Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, after he gave a short talk at the Heritage Foundation about his group’s efforts to create a grassroots movement against nationalized health care. After asking him about the reception he was getting for Republicans, I wanted to know whether his association with Columbia/HCA, the for-profit hospital company that he resigned from during an investigation that ended with a $1.7 billion fraud settlement, was a problem for CPR’s campaign.

TWI: Do you worry that your work at CPR could be seen as you nursing a grudge for what happened with Columbia/HCA?

RICK SCOTT: There’s no grudge. First off, if you go back and look at what we accomplished at Columbia/HCA, it was the lowest prices and best outcomes. I left and nothing happened to me. I can’t do anything about what people want to complain about. But if you look at what we’re doing, we’re doing the right things.

TWI: What, specifically?

RICK SCOTT: If you go look at Solantic [which Scott co-founded in 2001], we have transparency on prices, we’re dramatically less expensive than everyone else and we have a great service. Or go back and look at Columbia, look at all the objective measures. Go look at joint commission, accommodation, at accreditation. If you look at the top 100 hospitals, we started with less than seven percent of them. My last year, we had 27 percent of those hospitals. If you look at my management team, all of my management team went on and ran hospital companies.

TWI: People can still say, “Look, this was the guy who resigned in the biggest fraud settlement in American history.”

RICK SCOTT: But, you know, we were the biggest company. If you go back and look at the hospital industry, and the whole health care industry since the mid-1990s, it was basically constantly going through investigations. Great institutions, like ours, paid fines. It was too bad.

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Comments

38 Comments

Hipnut
Comment posted April 1, 2009 @ 8:40 am

What a revision of history! Rick Scott is a crook who got far less than he deserved. His company looked to maximize profit and committed the largest health care fraud in U.S. history. He should have NO pulpit to spew his self-serving comments. Go back to you first career as a donut maker!


Wonk Room » The WonkLine: April 1, 2009
Pingback posted April 1, 2009 @ 10:52 am

[...] The Washington Independent asks Conservatives For Patients Rights founder Rick Scott to explain his health care record. [...]


nirad
Comment posted April 1, 2009 @ 11:40 am

It's amazing to me that conservatives are trotting this guy out. After Columbia/HCA – the single largest fraud in US history until that point – this man should have go to prison. Instead he's being used as the GOP's point man on healthcare. Unbelievable.


Rick Scott: But everyone was doing it! - The Seminal :: Independent Media and Politics
Pingback posted April 1, 2009 @ 4:00 pm

[...] Scott, the Bernie Madoff of health care, has an explanation for why his health care company had to pay $1.7 billion in fines (the largest fine in history) under his watch: If you go back and look at the hospital industry, [...]


Testing Blog
Pingback posted April 2, 2009 @ 4:55 am

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Comment posted April 2, 2009 @ 4:04 am

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Conservative Critic of Obama on Health Reform Has Messy Past - Health Blog - WSJ
Pingback posted April 2, 2009 @ 11:06 am

[...] this interview with the Washington Independent, Scott said Columbia/HCA had the “lowest prices and best [...]


Health Guide » Conservative Critic of Obama on Health Reform Has Messy Past
Pingback posted April 2, 2009 @ 11:21 am

[...] this interview with the Washington Independent, Scott said Columbia/HCA had the “lowest prices and best [...]


Health Care. (united health care, universal health care) » Blog Archive » Conservative Critic of Obama on Health Reform Has Messy Past
Pingback posted April 2, 2009 @ 12:02 pm

[...] this interview with the Washington Independent, Scott said Columbia/HCA had the “lowest prices and best [...]


Health Care. (united health care, universal health care) » Blog Archive » Daily Health Care News - 4/1/09
Pingback posted April 2, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

[...] Rick Scott on His Health Care Record – Washington Independent [...]


CW, Atlanta
Comment posted April 2, 2009 @ 1:07 pm

This guy remains me of the “fast-talking wheeler-dealers” on Wall Street. He's the most dishonest businessman in the country. He walked away from Columbia/HCA to avoid getting tainted with the $1.7 Billion Dollar fraud settlement, which he certainly was involved with (and he justs plays dumb … WOW). His response to the Health-Care reform is issue is the same as the so called “big-thinkers” at AIG, Lehmans and the other fast-talkers from Wall Street … “Well everyone else was doing it”. I'm not sure where President Obama is headed with his Health-Care reforms, but please keep the crooks like Rick Scott and his boys out of the loop … PLEASE … These guys are “financial whore-dogs” and can not be trusted … Just one person opinion.


Wall Street Journal » Blog Archive » Conservative Critic of Obama on Health Reform Has Messy Past
Pingback posted April 2, 2009 @ 10:57 pm

[...] this interview with the Washington Independent, Scott said Columbia/HCA had the “lowest prices and best [...]


sg
Comment posted April 3, 2009 @ 11:24 am

You stated “I wanted to know whether his association with Columbia/HCA, the for-profit hospital company that he resigned from during an investigation that ended with a $1.7 billion fraud…”

Darla Moore, Richard Rainwater’s wife, wanted nothing to do with this scum. She pushed him and Vandewater out. You failed to elaborate what his severance was.

Just like Rainwater wanted nothing but Bush’s name touching his investment in the Rangers.

Scott’s response: ‘Go look at joint commission, accommodation, at accreditation’

The Joint Commission, they are questionable as an inspector as well as the entire process of inspections- not reliable Mr. Lawyer?

This is his defense for the $1.7bil fraud scheme? This is what they settled on. Do you really think this is all they schemed? Seriously?

RICK SCOTT: But, you know, we were the biggest company

They were too big to fail? Sound familiar?


Health Care. (united health care, universal health care) » Blog Archive » Rick Scott: But everyone was doing it!
Pingback posted April 4, 2009 @ 7:34 am

[...] Scott, the Bernie Madoff of health care, has an explanation for why his health care company had to pay $1.7 billion in fines (the largest fine in history) under his watch: If you go back and look at the hospital industry, [...]


The Washington Independent » Rick Scott on His Health Care Record « humani nil a me alienum puto
Pingback posted April 4, 2009 @ 1:11 pm

[...] via The Washington Independent » Rick Scott on His Health Care Record. [...]


HCIHCMC
Comment posted April 5, 2009 @ 8:38 pm

Rick Scott was the profit-driver for the Frist Family fortune. HCA was a 10 year saga of invesitgations into Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Many of the largest hospital, pharmaceutical, home care, multi-specialty, and long-term care companies treat Medicare fraud fines and penalties as just another operating expense. The public would be blown away if it knew about a fraction of the schemes perpetrated by healthcare industry players.


Roberta
Comment posted April 30, 2009 @ 2:54 pm

Wow. This guy could put a spin on child porn by touting it as consumer driven.


Paula
Comment posted May 23, 2009 @ 10:28 am

Rick Scott is an evil scum bag liar – hopefully, he will waste his money and go to hell.


Nathan Andover
Comment posted May 29, 2009 @ 11:26 am

Rick Scott and his organization Conservatives For Patients Rights is running very misleading ads against healthcare reform.

Tell NBC to stop broadcasting lies from this crook.

http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/155


Nathan Andover
Comment posted May 29, 2009 @ 6:26 pm

Rick Scott and his organization Conservatives For Patients Rights is running very misleading ads against healthcare reform.

Tell NBC to stop broadcasting lies from this crook.

http://democracyforamerica.com/activities/155


lzlatkovich
Comment posted July 21, 2009 @ 9:36 pm

Tell Obama and Congress to go fuck them selves. Leave my Health care and the company I work for ALONE.

Also tell Obamas Policies; Healthcare, Cap & Trade, and taxes – they ALL Suck.

Have Obama to leave the media alone and tell him to watch Fox News and Glenn Beck for what the “real” people fell about Obama and Congress.


hitchhiker
Comment posted August 5, 2009 @ 1:51 am

As a Canadian citizen who has universal h.c. It's not perfect, but it's a wholelot better than what American's currently enjoy.(I'm being vacesious). Your healthcare for profit is mad. It's ludicrous the way the right and their lobbyists are distorting imformation. If AMERICANS again cave in to their scare tactics, they deserve the h.c. they have now. It struck me, on the side of my right temple, these prostitutes who sell their souls on a daily basis, will trade American lives for the almighty dollar. Kind of like the Iraq war, don't you think? As an outsider who had to write this e-mail, I think these hosebags trying to disable your h.c. system should be embarassed and should look for a slimy rock, to slither under!!!!! Any cohearant reply, will be studied and passed on to other Canadians. What a JOKE!!!!!!


Gail
Comment posted August 6, 2009 @ 7:22 pm

get your head out of your ass,especially if you watch Glenn Beck!!! No one is trying to mess with your healthcare except your healthcare co. As a retired healthcare professional I know what goes on and believe me your healthcare CARES nothing about you, only the money they can make!!!!!!


henya
Comment posted August 6, 2009 @ 7:47 pm

Rick Scott,
Yes If you are behind all those misleading information, you are sick man. do not sent your right wingers to our meetings do your own
you are criminal any way, no one should believe you any way just to show how ignorant your Republican party is. this is why you lost the elections
I will do anything to make sour that we have health care reform in this country, look at France health care it is the # 1 in the world.
I support our President he is the best thing that happen to us in a long time. We have for the first time a smart intelligent patient aliquant highly educated President,
and a hard worker.


doloreskathleenpellegrino
Comment posted August 6, 2009 @ 7:54 pm

I am seventy one years old and until 10 minutes ago I did not know who you where(I saw you on an interview on CNN News) I was glad to find out that on your website I could find out where the health care meetings were being held. I am angry and frustrated because I do not think our health system needs overhauled I do not like the systems they have in England and Canada.
Our deficit is so great now that it would be horrible for our country to add a trillion and a half more dollars to this deficit for government run health care. I am not part of any mob I am an American I have a right to my beliefs and I have a right to freedom of speech I know what is good for me and if I wanted the government to run all facets of my life I would move to Cuba.


lonestarry
Comment posted August 10, 2009 @ 2:06 am

Damn straight, sister. The more they help you, the less money they make. So what do you suppose the outcome will be?

I fear that, as Business Week says, this debate is already over.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09…

Big Insurance put the fix in months ago. It'll be another gift to them, just like Bush's so-called “Prescription Drug Benefit” was to Big Pharma.

The American public is too stupid to understand what's going on, and so they are easily led into frothing rages by mere buzzwords like “socialism” and “forced euthanasia.” We finally got a decent president, and we're going to piss the chance away to enact positive change. Call your congressperson, let them know we want a *real* public option.


convdr
Comment posted August 10, 2009 @ 9:34 pm

First of all you really don't know what's going on in the real world. You're not informed about what you claim to have worked in. Exactly what area did you work in “housekeeping”, most doctors and nursed I know as a medical professional really do care about the healthcare we provide. I've been to England and Canada and seen how their system works, it's totally over loaded with government interferance and long waits for real healthcare.


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Comment posted June 8, 2010 @ 2:49 am

This guy has no shame, he shouldn't be running for any public office we definate don't need him governing our state.


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TT
Comment posted August 17, 2010 @ 11:05 pm

Your post is difficult to read. Your misspellings and poor grammar are two prime examples that you should not consider yourself the voice of what ignorance is, but the example. You are, however, a great example of liberal democrats. If it makes you feel better to call others 'ignorant' who do not agree with you, then you go right ahead. It's not like you're smart enough to figure it out anyway.


123
Comment posted November 29, 2010 @ 12:42 am

Rick Scott is cancer


123
Comment posted November 29, 2010 @ 12:42 am

Rick Scott is cancer


123
Comment posted November 29, 2010 @ 12:43 am

http://medicalholocaust.blogspot.com/

Rick Scott is a very evil slime ball.


123
Comment posted November 29, 2010 @ 12:43 am

http://medicalholocaust.blogspot.com/

Rick Scott is a very evil slime ball.


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