More on privatizing profit while publicizing risk:

…when Medtronic and Guidant recalled certain heart defibrillators, both companies provided new devices free and agreed to reimburse patients up to $2,500 in out-of-pocket expenses for replacement operations. …

Neither producer, however, offered to pick up hospital and doctor bills. Instead, publicly funded plans like Medicare and private insurers are typically paying them. …

Manufacturers of implantable devices insist that their responsibilities are clearly spelled out in product warranties and that medical costs related to a device's replacement are not covered.

I'm sorry … somehow, I didn't take the time to read the warranty and replacement policy and maybe do some comparison shopping … ON MY HEART DEFIBRILLATOR!!??

The Bush Administration gives, as one of the reasons for letting the medical device makers get away with this, that keeping track of who gets what medical devices implanted is just too much paperwork. As if this precise type of inventory control were not practiced painlessly by every mom-and-pop retailer in the continental United States.

Of course, foisting risk off on the public to insure risk-free coporate profits is a classic way to weaken the nation while strengthening the corporations. That's why W is the Weakener-in-Chief, and re-earns the title every day.

Posted by Wayne Uff at February 20, 2006 12:24 AM

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