HJBR Nov/Dec 2024

POLITICIZATION OF COVID 22 NOV / DEC 2024 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE Abraham In my opinion, definitely. Rep. Gallé Dr. Coleman, anything to add? Coleman No, I think I will have to leave that one to the real doctors. Rep. Gallé You’re the eyeball guy, that’s right. Coleman I’m the eyeball guy. I have very lim- ited utility. Rep. Gallé One final question. There’s been talk about profit motive and money, you hear it all the time. Based on your experience, your opinion, Remdesivir, what’s the cost of Remdesivir? Abraham Early on, it was very expensive. I couldn’t tell you the cost now. Rep. Gallé Is it more expensive than, say, ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine? Abraham I would say yes. Rep. Gallé Significantly? Abraham At one point, much more. Yes. Rep. Gallé Do you think that played into the choice of treatment? Abraham I don’t know, it raises my anten- nas, though. Rep. Gallé Very well, as it does my mine. Sur- geon General Dr. Abraham, thank you. Dep- uty Surgeon General, Dr. Coleman. Again, I want to thank you all for coming here this morning. We greatly appreciate your testi- mony. We appreciate your candidness, your openness, and your willingness to be hon- est and speak your mind. And thank you for standing up for freedom. The two days were peppered with accusations or perceived threats against doctors for spreading dis- and misinformation, concerns over vaccine injury, lack of informed consent, and Louisiana pharmacies refusing to fill off-label prescriptions that did not fit a national narrative. Platitudes from lawmakers rang out, calling for Louisiana’s sovereignty from Medicaid and Medicare dictates, while the Louisiana Hospital Association (LHA) cautioned against this approach, reminding or educating the lawmakers that the purse strings of these, the nation’s largest insurers, are held federally. The LHA spokesperson pushed back, again, to lawmakers, saying they worked well with the former LDH team, disseminating information to their hospitals, and reminded lawmakers that hospitals were struggling for survival in the midst of the worst pandemic in generations. LHA preferred any future focus be on training nurses and solving the state’s dire nursing shortage. Sticking with the anti-vax narrative, a representative then questioned if the nursing shortage wasn’t the result of nurses refusing to take the COVID shot when mandated by their employer, a clear violation of a person’s right. LHA responded there was a nursing shortage before the pandemic. In a states’ rights, and human rights-related question, the Louisiana Nursing Home Association (LNHA) was asked why Louisiana nursing homes followed CMS mandates, not allowing family members to see dying residents. LNHA clarified that CMS did not dictate this — compassionate care exceptions always allowed family visits. When asked if nursing homes received higher payments for a COVID patient versus a non-COVID patient, LNHA responded, “No, not at all.” The representative pressed again: “So, same reimbursement?” LNHA reiterated, “Same.” The questions continued: “Are you aware of any financial incentive for listing COVID as the cause of death on the death certificate, versus any other illness?” Again, the answer was, “No, there is no difference in payment for a COVID patient versus a non-COVID patient.” Representatives also expressed interest in perceived intimidation by the Louisiana Medical Board of Examiners. The board countered by stating that no Louisiana physicians were delicensed during COVID. They clarified when asked that only one physician was investigated for misinformation shared in a public forum, but the physician admitted he was unaccustomed to public speaking and misspoke, and the case was closed. The medical board also sent out a letter advising prescribers on how to prescribe off-label drugs, reminding them they could do so, but with caution to ensure they were doing it correctly to avoid future legal issues. The Louisiana Board of Nursing exemplified why nurses are the most trusted profession in America by their presentation, demeanor, and no-nonsense approach. Their Q&A session was very quick after stating the board had no involvement with issue of mandated COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers.