In Florida, the limit for holding patients against their will is 72 hours. To extend that time, hospitals have to get court approval.
Acadia’s North Tampa Behavioral Health Hospital found a way to exploit that, current and former employees said.
From 2019 to 2023, North Tampa filed more than 4,500 petitions to extend patients’ involuntary stays, according to a Times analysis of court records.
Simply filing a petition allowed the hospital to legally hold the patients — and bill their insurance — until the court date, which can be several days after the petition is filed. Mr. Blair, the Acadia spokesman, said this was often necessary to provide enough care to stabilize patients.
Judges granted only 54 of North Tampa’s petitions, or about 1 percent of the total.
Kathryn MacKenzie, a school social worker, had recently moved to Tampa and didn’t yet have a local psychiatrist. In August 2020, she visited an emergency room to have her prescriptions for bipolar disorder evaluated. An E.R. doctor sent her to North Tampa Behavioral.
Once there, Ms. MacKenzie was admitted and held against her will, even though her medical records stated that she was not feeling suicidal or wanting to harm others.
From the moment she entered the facility, Ms. MacKenzie begged to be released, according to court records and her mother, Jane Robertson.
“God please connect me back to my mom asap,” Ms. MacKenzie wrote in a journal that she kept during her hospitalization and that The Times reviewed. “Every time the locked door open and slam I feel a quick feeling of fear.”
Instead of releasing her, the hospital went to court, seeking to extend her stay.
While she waited for a hearing, Acadia charged her insurance about $2,200 a day, billing records show. Shortly before the hearing, Acadia agreed to release her. Acadia charged her insurance $13,200 for the six-day stay.
Ms. Robertson said her daughter has become terrified of seeking help because she fears she could find herself trapped back inside.
I'll give you a couple of guesses on why this is happening.... The fact that even our healthcare is beholden to the shareholders is incredibly disturbing.
Since the pandemic exacerbated a national mental health crisis, the company’s revenue has soared. Its stock price has more than doubled.
I'll give you a couple of guesses on why this is happening.... The fact that even our healthcare is beholden to the shareholders is incredibly disturbing.
Quartlery earnings and shareholders don't just keep the shares high enough through mercy and well being That's technically illegal to not make more money every quarter
Quartlery earnings and shareholders don't just keep the shares high enough through mercy and well being
That's technically illegal to not make more money every quarter
Just wanted to say that this kind of thing should be a rallying cry to change the for-profit health insurance industry. I was just watching John Oliver's video about hospice and it's the same...
Just wanted to say that this kind of thing should be a rallying cry to change the for-profit health insurance industry. I was just watching John Oliver's video about hospice and it's the same situation. People milking the system, committing fraud, and trying to line their pockets with what they think is a "victimless crime." Piracy is [generally] a victimless crime. Running up a bill and hoping that the masses or people's tax dollars pay for it, is just making an essential part of our system more shitty and broken.
Please talk to your representatives to support free and low-cost healthcare and save some lives.
You aren't wrong about there being value in talking to representatives about promoting and voting for change. I don't want to devalue that entirely, because it's one thing the average person can...
You aren't wrong about there being value in talking to representatives about promoting and voting for change. I don't want to devalue that entirely, because it's one thing the average person can do, especially on a local or county level.
But it can be discouraging when they ignore listening to <general citizen> and put more stock into companies and organizations that give them lobbying dollars.
I feel you. In that case, it would be good to communicate to some of the thinktanks supporting major changes to the healthcare system. Similarly, there are thinktanks that talk to politicians of...
I feel you. In that case, it would be good to communicate to some of the thinktanks supporting major changes to the healthcare system. Similarly, there are thinktanks that talk to politicians of all political persuasions about making changes to the prison system, another thing that needs major change.
There you go. That's the problem. Fuck companies like this who prey on the vulnerable. Cool, so instead of shutting these places down, let's charge them fines that they can just consider the cost...
Psychiatric hospitals were once run by the government or nonprofit groups. But both have been retreating from psychiatric care. Today, for-profit companies are playing a bigger role, lured by the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that insurers cover mental health.
There you go. That's the problem. Fuck companies like this who prey on the vulnerable.
Federal and state authorities have periodically cracked down on Acadia, as well as its main rival, Universal Health Services. In 2020, UHS agreed to pay $122 million to settle a Justice Department investigation into whether the company billed for unnecessary inpatient stays. (UHS denied wrongdoing.)
This year, Acadia said it had tentatively agreed to settle a similar Justice Department investigation into, among other things, whether patient stays were medically necessary.
Cool, so instead of shutting these places down, let's charge them fines that they can just consider the cost of doing business.
Because that clearly doesn't seem like an appropriate amount to settle for when you consider this:
With its stock price rising, Acadia is valued at about $7 billion. Its chief executive, Christopher H. Hunter, was paid more than $7 million last year.
The US medical system needs a significant overhaul. Especially the insurance part.
You’re not wrong, but this is more about government care being wound down. Happened in the 90’s allowed a lot of tax cuts without huge deficits. Meanwhile the populations of unhoused soared and...
You’re not wrong, but this is more about government care being wound down. Happened in the 90’s allowed a lot of tax cuts without huge deficits. Meanwhile the populations of unhoused soared and things like acadia have ascended. See also the very troubled, troubled teen industry.
Yeah, government care reduction will naturally lead to for-profit organizations taking their place. There are some non-profit hospital organizations that do good, as well as some for-profit. But...
Yeah, government care reduction will naturally lead to for-profit organizations taking their place. There are some non-profit hospital organizations that do good, as well as some for-profit. But it makes the field ripe for abuse if a company leader can stomach hurting people for massive profit.
The root of it all - capitalism. Even if you want to be ethical, the system itself demands that profit be sought, or someone else willing to put profit first will out compete you; ethics and...
The root of it all - capitalism. Even if you want to be ethical, the system itself demands that profit be sought, or someone else willing to put profit first will out compete you; ethics and people be damned. Eventually, those people get together and have a monopoly on the market in question and will not allow you to exist unless you toe the horrendous line.
Meanwhile in NC, a magistrates order, given in like 100% of cases, can hold a patient until a judge says otherwise.
I'll give you a couple of guesses on why this is happening.... The fact that even our healthcare is beholden to the shareholders is incredibly disturbing.
Hey, silver linings amirite?
Quartlery earnings and shareholders don't just keep the shares high enough through mercy and well being
That's technically illegal to not make more money every quarter
Just wanted to say that this kind of thing should be a rallying cry to change the for-profit health insurance industry. I was just watching John Oliver's video about hospice and it's the same situation. People milking the system, committing fraud, and trying to line their pockets with what they think is a "victimless crime." Piracy is [generally] a victimless crime. Running up a bill and hoping that the masses or people's tax dollars pay for it, is just making an essential part of our system more shitty and broken.
Please talk to your representatives to support free and low-cost healthcare and save some lives.
You aren't wrong about there being value in talking to representatives about promoting and voting for change. I don't want to devalue that entirely, because it's one thing the average person can do, especially on a local or county level.
But it can be discouraging when they ignore listening to <general citizen> and put more stock into companies and organizations that give them lobbying dollars.
I feel you. In that case, it would be good to communicate to some of the thinktanks supporting major changes to the healthcare system. Similarly, there are thinktanks that talk to politicians of all political persuasions about making changes to the prison system, another thing that needs major change.
There you go. That's the problem. Fuck companies like this who prey on the vulnerable.
Cool, so instead of shutting these places down, let's charge them fines that they can just consider the cost of doing business.
Because that clearly doesn't seem like an appropriate amount to settle for when you consider this:
The US medical system needs a significant overhaul. Especially the insurance part.
You’re not wrong, but this is more about government care being wound down. Happened in the 90’s allowed a lot of tax cuts without huge deficits. Meanwhile the populations of unhoused soared and things like acadia have ascended. See also the very troubled, troubled teen industry.
Yeah, government care reduction will naturally lead to for-profit organizations taking their place. There are some non-profit hospital organizations that do good, as well as some for-profit. But it makes the field ripe for abuse if a company leader can stomach hurting people for massive profit.
The root of it all - capitalism. Even if you want to be ethical, the system itself demands that profit be sought, or someone else willing to put profit first will out compete you; ethics and people be damned. Eventually, those people get together and have a monopoly on the market in question and will not allow you to exist unless you toe the horrendous line.