Scott’s Revelation: About $359,880,000 too late

I’ve been threatening to write a post entitled, “How Rick Scott Can Be Re-elected … And Why He Won’t”  But while I’m still noodling the idea,  this jewel popped up in today’s (12.09.11) St. Pete Times in a front page, above the fold article by Steve Bousquet (“Medicaid cuts decried”).   If and when I do write the post, clearly, this quote by Scott’s representative, Jerry McDaniel, will fall under the part “… and why he won’t”

Here’s the pertinent part of the article.  McDaniel’s telling quote is highlighted.

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to pay less to hospitals to control spiraling Medicaid costs drew skepticism from some lawmakers and hostility from hospitals Thursday.

Scott's plan is central to his $66 billion budget proposal, and ensures that his own history as CEO of a for-profit hospital chain that paid a record $1.7 billion in fines for Medicare fraud would attract new attention.

Explaining Scott's plan to legislators, senior aides touted the governor's background as having built Columbia/HCA into the nation's biggest and most profitable hospital network.

"The governor operated 343 hospitals," Scott budget director Jerry McDaniel told the Senate Budget Committee. "He was very successful at it. He said his best paying clients were Medicaid and Medicare. He loved serving those populations. He was able to make a lot of money doing that. But unfortunately, the payer on this end is the taxpayer."

If this shows anything it’s that one reason CEO-governor is so out of touch with reality is because his “Senior Aide” and minion advisor, McDaniel, is himself lost somewhere out there between a galaxy far, far away and the Big Dipper.

One of the Senators should have asked this guy, “I understand your point, sir, but are you really certain it’s one you want to make?”

The committee expressed understandable chagrin that the governor, who made hundreds of millions off the medical needs of thousands of Medicare and Medicaid patients, is now saying hospitals have been charging too much for such services, including, apparently, those provided by the CEO’s former stable of 343 hospitals.

Scott was paid $359,880,000 to leave HCA after the Feds fined his company $1.7 billion for fraudulent billing practices, among other reasons.

I’d say the CEO-governor’s revelation about hospitals charging too much comes about $359,880,000 too late, wouldn’t you?  

(Find the complete article HERE.)