Drudge headline baselessly implicated Clinton in closure of Niagara Falls children's psychiatric unit
SUMMARY: A January 22 headline on the Drudge Report baselessly suggested that the children's psychiatric unit at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center closed because Sen. Hillary Clinton was "neglecting" New York. The Buffalo News article that the headline linked to contained no mention of Clinton; rather, it reported that hospital officials attributed the closure to problems surrounding the way Medicaid is administered by Niagara County.
On January 22, the Drudge Report linked to a Buffalo News article on the closing of the children's psychiatric unit at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center in Niagara Falls, New York, under the headline: "Hillary Neglecting NY? Niagara Falls hospital shuts children's psychiatric unit ... ." However, the article contained no mention of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY); rather, it reported that "hospital officials said problems getting adequate Medicaid compensation gives them little choice [regarding the closure]" and that "[t]he decision to close the unit at the medical center and cut the hospital's losses follows months of unanswered pleas by hospital officials to the Niagara County manager and officials of the county Department of Social Services to remedy its slow Medicaid approval process."
From the January 17 Buffalo News article:
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center plans to close its 12-bed children's psychiatric unit, effectively ending care to more than 350 patients a year.
Niagara County health officials called the decision "shocking" Wednesday and said it places added stress on a mental health situation already strained to the limit.
But hospital officials said problems getting adequate Medicaid compensation gives them little choice.
[...]
The children's unit falls victim to the hospital's financial losses in uncompensated care from undocumented Medicaid patients, which hospital officials have said amounted to $2.4 million last year.
"We have to do something," Ruffolo said, "because [otherwise] it would jeopardize the whole hospital."
[...]
If things don't change in the way Medicaid is administered by the county, [president and CEO of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Joseph A.] Ruffolo said, the adult unit is in danger, too."
[...]
The decision to close the unit at the medical center and cut the hospital's losses follows months of unanswered pleas by hospital officials to the Niagara County manager and officials of the county Department of Social Services to remedy its slow Medicaid approval process.
Don J. King, chairman of the hospital board, said there has been no progress since a meeting two months ago with county officials. A meeting a month ago with reporters to draw attention to the matter also failed to draw action from the county.
"The number of uninsured patients has reached a crisis point. This simply cannot continue," Ruffolo said in an earlier interview.
"We can't discharge these patients because many of them have nowhere to go," Ruffolo said, referring to indigent and uninsured residents. "Erie County has a similar situation, but their mission is to enroll as many people in Medicaid."
Chuck Rader, the hospital treasurer, described the skyrocketing cost of providing uncompensated care as desperate and said it is crippling the facility's overall purpose.
Gregory D. Lewis, the county manager, has defended the current procedure for processing Medicaid applications.
Nope.Drudge used the Fox News Question Mark. "Hillary neglecting NY?" is definitely not "Hillary Neglecting NY !!"
I think we can safely assume that the average chimpanzee that still considers Drudge a reputable source for facts will only use that "question" as a jumping-off point in beginning their own rigorous research.
Besides, isn't this a compliment to Hillary from a wingnut? Sounds like she's telling those mentally ill children to start grabbing those bootstraps and quit suckling at the Government teat. Good for her!
Drudge a Lying Weasel? Matt Drudge once again uses a false premise disguised as a question to imply a false conclusion ...
Like the teaser above where the headline uses a false premise to imply a false conclusion. Matt Drudge is in fact not a weasel. He just behaves like an opportunistic, egg-sucking scavenger, and that's not the same thing.
But, in how some right wing type folks will defend this headline, he did pose it as a question, so it's OK. It's the FoxNews way of pointing a salicious headline at someone who's not responsible for it.
We could do it like this: Does George W. Bush drink the blood of his victims?
See, I asked it in the form of a question, so it's not a statement of fact, it's just a question that I'm asking, so it's OK, no matter what the question is. I believe the Daily Show did a bit on this once, and it was hilarious.
People, unfortunately, still visit Drudge all the time. The fact is, when I listen to the conservative talk radio, they often quote Drudge, and or use his website for show prep, and use his "information" for bits and pieces they put out on their shows, and they gladly proclaim this, which is sad, since his website is nothing more than a bunch of links, and or stories from other sources, and of course "insider" information, that I'm sure he just makes up.