Verma has a point; Americans are fed up with healthcare industry

Speaking to the largest hospital association recently, CMS Administrator Seema Verma expressed the frustration being felt by millions of patients on a routine basis: “Americans are fed up, not only are they paying more, but they aren’t being treated fairly. Like when they go to a hospital they think is in-network, and then receive bills from out-of-network providers.”

Verma further chastised hospitals for sometimes crippling families financially with aggressive collections efforts.

“This is unacceptable,” she told an American Hospital Association regional policy board. “Hospitals must be paid for their work, but it’s actions like these that have led to calls for a complete Washington takeover of the entire healthcare system.”

The hyperbole about a government takeover aside, Verma had a point. On both sides of the political aisle, lawmakers are stumping for government action in the face of industry inaction.

Is the industry listening? Sometimes it’s hard to tell … even when their motto is, “It’s your story, we’re listening.”