this post was submitted on 07 May 2024
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Improve The News

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Improve The News is a free news aggregator and news analysis site developed by a group of researchers at MIT and elsewhere to improve your access to trustworthy news. Many website algorithms push you (for ad revenue) into a filter bubble by reinforcing the narratives you impulse-click on. By understanding other people’s arguments, you understand why they do what they do – and have a better chance of persuading them. **What's establishment bias?** The establishment view is what all big parties and powers agree on, which varies between countries and over time. For example, the old establishment view that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote was successfully challenged. ITN makes it easy for you to compare the perspectives of the pro-establishment mainstream media with those of smaller establishment-critical news outlets that you won’t find in most other news aggregators. This Magazine/Community is not affiliated with Improve The News and is an unofficial repository of the information posted there.


**LR (left/right): 1 = left leaning, 3 = neutral, 5 = right leaning** **CP (critical/pro-establishment): 1 = critical, 3 = neutral, 5 = pro**

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  • Steward Health Care System, the largest physician-owned hospital network in the US with dozens of hospitals across eight states, filed for bankruptcy early Monday morning. NBC Boston
  • The Texas-based firm, whose network includes nine hospitals in Massachusetts, is backed by private equity (PE) investors but reportedly owns creditors over $500M. However, it says that all its services are still currently up and running. CBS (LR: 2 CP: 5)
  • It further stated that it's negotiating "initial funding of $75M and up to $225M" with its landlord, Medical Properties Trust. The bankruptcy will affect tens of thousands of employees, including 16K in Massachusetts alone. wbur.org
  • In Massachusetts, the Department of Public Health (DPH) has since January been monitoring that Steward sites have enough supplies and staff. DPH has now set up an "Emergency Operation Plan" to "protect access to care and preserve jobs." Boston Herald
  • The company began buying hospitals in 2010 with hundreds of millions of dollars from PE firm Cerberus, which profited $800M before selling its stake in 2021. It has reportedly sold off over $1B in land to Medical Properties Trust since 2016. CBS (LR: 2 CP: 5)

Establishment-critical narrative:

  • Not only do PE firms sink hospitals into bankruptcy once their investment is over, they destroy patient care while they own them. A recent report found that rates of medical errors increase within a few years of the initial investment, while another found that some of the 220 owned by PE firm Apollo were ranked as the worst in their states. These companies buy up healthcare facilities with no care for the patients inside them.
    ARS TECHNICA

Pro-establishment narrative:

  • While some may claim the opposite, PE firms are actually saving both American hospitals and lives, having an especially positive affect on mortality rates. This is likely because the proportion of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists at PE-owned hospitals is greater than others. News of a struggling hospital is always tragic, but that doesn't mean we should paint the entire industry in a negative light.
    AMERICAN INVESTMENT COUNCIL

Nerd narrative:

  • There is a 50% chance that at least 23.4% of US gross domestic product (GDP) will be spent on healthcare in 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
    METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)
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