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The Nuanced Truth About Hillary Clinton's Hospital Story
April 08, 2008 12:17 PM
The tragic story Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, has been maligned for sharing about Trina Larae Bachtel, 35 -- who lost her son and her own life -- has some truth to it.
But it is also not as starkly illustrative of the problems with the U.S. health care system as Clinton has relayed to audiences on the stump.
This does not make the loss of Trina Bachtel and her stillborn son Tray Dean Hutton any less tragic. Nor does it take away from the fundamental issue -- that tens of millions of Americans lack health insurance and this often has disastrous consequences.
But here are the facts of the case.
It's a conclusion that is neither a dismissal of the story altogether, as some in the media have done following the remarks of one hospital administrator in the New York Times Saturday, nor is it a declaration that the story, as Clinton told it, was true, as the Clinton campaign would want it.
**
Clinton was first told the sad story of Trina Bachtel by an Meigs County Ohio sheriff’s deputy, Bryan Holman.
The moment Holman shared the anecdote with Clinton was captured on video, and you can watch it HERE.
“I’d like to tell you the story of a young woman I know that didn’t have health insurance," Holman said. "She worked in a little pizza place around here and she was pregnant, worked for minimum wage. She went to the hospital. And the hospital told her she needed $100 up front, which she didn’t have of course didn’t make a lot of money . So they had billed her a couple of times for it. And uh, after getting pregnant she went back, like I say, she went back again, they told her she needed $100 she didn’t have. So they refused to see her because she had a bill and stuff and been there before."
"So she went to another local hospital," he says. "And they seen her and stopped her labor and told her to come back in two days. Well, before she got back within those two days her baby died. So they life-flighted her to Co - to a hospital in Columbus and within 15 days she died. And they come to find out that they had misdiagnosed what the problem was. And it was a smaller hospital, didn’t have the needs to take care of what she needed at that time."
The larger point, says Holman to Clinton: "her family and them think that if she'd had good insurance and stuff and she was taken care of at the first hospital of course that had the medical means to take care of her that her and her baby of course would still be here. Its just you know the health insurance thing really needs to be addressed for people who you know work for minimum wage and different things.”
Said Clinton: "I hear so many stories like that. People without insurance are more likely to be die than people with insurance."
**
Clinton immediately began telling the story to make an argument for universal health care. Her campaign did not try to check its accuracy before she did so.
In Terre Haute, Indiana, Clinton said that in Ohio “a deputy sheriff told me about a young woman who worked at the pizza parlor there and she worked for minimum wage, she didn’t have any insurance. She got pregnant, went to the hospital — and I don’t blame the hospital. The hospital said, ‘We can’t take any more charity care. You have to give us $100 before we can examine you.’ She didn’t have $100. Went back another time, they told her the same thing.”
When Bachtel went back to the hospital, Clinton said, she did so “in an ambulance. And they worked hard to stabilize her, and she lost her baby. Then they airlifted her to Columbus to the medical center, and for 15 days they tried to save her life, and she died.”
Clinton in telling the story shared with her by Holman conflated the first hospital where Bachtel was denied here, with the second, where she lost her child, which was O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio.
O'Bleness Memorial Hospital took issue with the story, since she'd been making it sound as if the hospital where Bachtel died was the same one where she'd allegedly been denied care.
With that factual error noted in the New York Times, some in the media portrayed the story in such a way as to imply that none of it was true.
Some of it was accurate. The tragic death of Trina Bachtel and her son. The fears of a poor pregnant woman and her lack of immediate access to quality health care because she didn't have health insurance.
But some of the story Clinton shared was not accurate.
**
In addition to Clinton conflating the first and second hospitals, Holman -- who heard Bachtel's story second-hand -- got some key details wrong.
First, years ago, Bachtel was told she needed to pay $100 before she would be seen by a doctor not because they wanted the money up front, but because she owed the clinic money.
Second, this did not happen at a hospital, but at a private physicians' clinic. Specifically, Holzer Clinic in Gallipolis, Ohio. Hospitals are legally not permitted to deny care to anyone. The rules are quite different for clinics.
Holzer Clinics Inc. is a private series of clinics (not to be confused with Holzer Hospitals). Holzer Clinic Inc. has nine offices throughout southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. They take in about 500,000 patient visits a year, including more than 100,000 Medicaid patients a year and maybe 25,000 patients with no insurance.
Holzer Clinics Inc. tries to work with patients who accrue medical debts. But there are times when a patient mounts up debts and the clinic system believes he or she needs to make more of an effort.
When that happens, the patient enters an "advanced payment status." Before the doctor will see the patient at this private clinic, he or she is asked to pay $100. If the patient says he cannot pay, he or she is counseled to go to a hospital emergency room.
This is what happened to Trina Bachtel, who at the time had no health insurance.
There are exceptions. Doctors at Holzer Clinics Inc will see patients in "advanced payment status" if, for instance, they have been referred out of an emergency room, if they've since gone onto Medicaid, or if they're receiving workers compensation. Cancer patients in chemotherapy, and pregnant patients will be seen whether or not they pat the $100.
**
Which brings us to the third point: when Bachtel was told she needed to pay the $100 before the visit -- and court records show that she'd owed thousands of dollars to the Holzer System -- she was not pregnant.
Bachtel got pregnant and in 2007 suffered through a difficult pregnancy, suffering from preeclampsia, characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine, effecting 5-8% of all pregnancies.
At that time she had health insurance.
For whatever reason, she thought that she would need to pay Holzer Clinics Inc. $100 and she did not go to the clinic.
"She was told she had to have $100 upfront and that's why she never went there when she got pregnant," one of her family members told me.
Later she went to O’Bleness Memorial Hospital when it was an emergency.
Her son was stillborn there on August 1, 2007. She was airlifted to OSU Medical Center in Columbus, where she died two weeks later.
**
It is all sad. It is all tragic. The family is grieving, and the renewed scrutiny of it all by the media -- prompted by Sen. Clinton using the ancedote -- is bringing them back to those dark days last August.
Those are the facts. A young woman lost her life and the life of her child. But no hospital or clinic denied her coverage as a pregnant woman. She had insurance when she died.
What are we to learn from the tragic story of Trina Bachtel?
- jpt
April 8, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (104)
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You people all ask what experience does the candidates have? Lets look at the past Presidents?
Jimmy Carter - Ga Gov - No Federal experience
Ronald Reagan - Ca Gov - No Federal experience
George Bush Sr. - Foreign policy / CIA
Bill Clinton - Ark Gov - No Federal experience
George W. Bush - One Term TX Gov - No Federal experience.
Get the point people? I don't care if Obama only has 3 yrs experience. These commercials about waking up and 3am calls are joke. Hillary what was your foreign policy experience? Wall-Mart NAFTA board of governors? What was your husbands experience?
Posted by: M | Apr 8, 2008 3:37:01 PM
Thanks for setting the record and story straight for us Jake! With almost every other word coming out of Hillary's mouth either being a lie or attack one never knows whats up with her! As usual, a grain of truth can be found in her daily exaggerations! Clearly a desperate woman in a failing campaign who will stop at nothing! Good report!
Posted by: Jim Kiricov | Apr 8, 2008 3:30:05 PM
The smartest woman in the world should have enough sense to investigate, verify, substantiate and confirm data before before moving forward with a story like this. As for Ms Bechtell; (1) don't get pregant if you can't afford it, (2) any poor person, even illegals, can get FREE medical care anywhere in the country. What do you think hard working Americans are for; do you believe they are just supposed to work hard all their lives to keep the economy going, save and invest their money for retirement and maybe enjoy a few years at the end of their lives...greety bastards, don't they know they live in America? This is the land of the FREE and handouts for anyone in the world that is willing to TAKE rather than contribute.
Posted by: Noexcuses | Apr 8, 2008 3:28:36 PM
I can relate to this as i have a situation simular and cannot get into a clinic to have it taken care of. The public health dept. will not take the necessary tests for my situation, and yet, when i visit my specialists on a workmans comp injury they are absolutely mortified that my public health doctors wont check into the numerous lumps on my thyroid. I owe the clinic 129.00 from a past bill. But...a year and a half ago i paid over 1,600.00 in past medical expenses occured from my children during my claim for disability. I paid those right up front when i was able. They had "forgotten" this one bill, and now that I an on disability and have not the money to pay that 129.00, they refuse me. This is not right. I am a widow, 10 months ago I had 6 sscrews put into my back. Its not like I can work an extra shift to make this money.I have medical coverage through my disability now, so it isnt like i would be incurring any more to this bill. It just isnt right.
Posted by: jody | Apr 8, 2008 3:28:10 PM
Oh and another thing..if your running for Pres. and your a Senator, shouldnt you have the resources to be able to FACT CHECK your stories, before you let the words fly outta your mouth. If she cant even do simple fact checking on the things she talks about...what will happen when she's in office? Is she going to rely on the media to do the grunt work for her?
Posted by: Michelle | Apr 8, 2008 3:21:10 PM
Hilsry did not lie about the story. She got the information from the sheriff deputy. People are trying to find every little bit that they can find wrong with what Clintion did.
Look at the moral of Clintion's sorty: the health care system is messed up and needs to be fixed. Why are people so against health care? No one will complain when they are going to the emergency room with no money to pay for it.
And "NEWSFLASH": under Clinton's plan, your health care pay wwill go accordingly to your income. So, if you make $0.00 guess what? Your health care costs will be $0.00. And if your make a substantial amount of money, it will go according to the money you make. You will not miss the money spent on your coverage when you realize how your debt would build should you not have health care coverage.
Are some people so anti-Hillary that they could care less about their own well-being? I don't support Obama but I like his ideas for college students. I just have a stronger support for Hillary.
She was not lying so stop making a big deal over this.
Posted by: Kristen White | Apr 8, 2008 3:13:30 PM
I'm really getting tired of the media spending so much time tearing apart these stories. It is amazing that they have such attention to detail to the stories/examples that Hillary states and ignore others. The point is that our medical/insurance system needs some serious attention. Pay attention to the bigger picture!
Posted by: sarnorton | Apr 8, 2008 3:00:03 PM
the truth of the matter is that Hillary saw a story that fit perfectly into her agenda, especially if she altered it a little... but in all honesty what candidate can we trust? Media's opinion of the president changed when Nixon came around for the second time, but when 9-11 happened, the US fell back in love with their leaders. Unfortunately, the tides are turning once again, truths are being twisted and the political race is dancing around the more specific and important issues we need to be focusing on.
Posted by: Megan G | Apr 8, 2008 2:58:32 PM
Bishop
My appology if I offended you it was not meant to offend anyone . It does Offend me thou when others use it.
I guess even thou we dont agree politically we have a lot in common.
We are and have been from the working poor.
I hope you accept my apology.
Posted by: Lauren | Apr 8, 2008 2:45:50 PM
Since the media will not allow Clinton to ask....where are the records of Obama's state Senate terms....Does the media really believe the Obama stories of "there were none" and/or "they are lost".
Posted by: Jackie | Apr 8, 2008 2:42:12 PM
Spock:
She WAS denied care at the clinic. She was told to fork over $100 or forget about any more care. THAT is why she went to the other hospital where she was cared for and died.
Posted by: Vickie | Apr 8, 2008 2:41:17 PM
Bishop
It is meant as a derogatory statement against blacks because they buy it.
They drink it all the time. According to some. They have been using it since the begiining when it first became available because it had vitamin c in it. It was popular in the homes ( white and black ) were buying juice real juice
was something you could not afford.
Posted by: Lauren | Apr 8, 2008 2:40:08 PM
Please interview the deceased woman's Aunt and discover that the reason why she could not seek treatment is because the hospital had informed her in correspondence that they would not treat her without $100.00. So Clinton told the truth and we still don't have a retraction from the media.
At that point I hope you spend as much due diligence in vetting Obama's stories about not having ever seen a survey with his handwriting on it or denying his surrogates met with Canada about NAFTA when they clearly did.
Posted by: Jackie | Apr 8, 2008 2:40:06 PM
Angela,
One correction:
Yes, they are both Senators NOW:
Obama- 3 years
Hillary - 7 years;
More than twice of Senator experience..
Posted by: True Truth | Apr 8, 2008 2:36:35 PM
Lauren
I don't use it but if I did I am not putting anyone down we drank out of a hose if we wanted a drink. unless it was meal time then it was milk or kool-aid . Most of the kids in our working class s nighberhood drank kool-aid cost 5cents a pack and 2cups of sugar.
Posted by: Bishop | Apr 8, 2008 2:35:23 PM
I don't know what you are geting at I just know that it is an expression that has been used when you see people who follow after some one and mainly since it was reported in the media that the JIm Jone cult leaders gave thier followers kool-aid laced with poison
Posted by: Bishop | Apr 8, 2008 2:27:38 PM
True truth - no personal attacks from me. These are well documented historical facts about the Clintons - not misstatements.
I don't think being 1st lady is any more experience, probably less, than a cabinet member would have. Essentially, they are both senators. One traveled more.
Posted by: Angela | Apr 8, 2008 2:25:00 PM
well then i guess it would be befitting
to use it against Hillary followers. Like they say what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
But I personally will not use it because as i stated above, there are thousands of children in this Country who do not get real juice because the Parents can not afford it. I also believe people are using it to put down African Americans and those who want Barack Obama as a put down.
Posted by: Lauren | Apr 8, 2008 2:24:30 PM
American are so great!
not only import foreign goods, but also import president from Kenya and Insonesia.
It looks like everything from foreign country is better than oreginated in America.
Posted by: joke | Apr 8, 2008 2:07:26 PM
Angela,
First lady is NOT president for sure...
However, like I pointed, it is an given opportunity to know how a president to run the country...
Most first ladies don't care how their husband to run the country but a few do...Hillary is one of a few who has desire to lead this country...How much has she learned and equiped herself will be up to American voters to judge...
But never understimate your fellow woman the desire to learn and try to lead the country for better...
BTW, please don't do personal attack to your fellows..It is a committed SIN under the God's name...
Posted by: True Truth | Apr 8, 2008 2:03:11 PM
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