Views on ECM/Good Samaritan/Cherokee

Here's some reader views. First, we'll do our mandatory visit to our favorite West Colbert town:

It seems to me that since the Mayor and the town council did not pursue an investigation in the missing fuel that they know where it went and to whom it went to. I have questions to all of them.

Why didn't you do the research before it was even considered to hire the police officers in the first place? Doesn't it cost the town more money to hold all the extra meetings or are you doing all these things to put a little more money into your pockets?

No pun intended but it seems that they are having a lot of blond moments.The citizens deserve answers and deserve better police protection and they deserve better people to run the town.

Note: If any readers have observed Chuck Lansdell and Thelma Lambert not voting in tandem on any issue, please forward the info to us. Why would Lansdell and Lambert vote against installing security cameras costing around 1K in order to prevent a theft of 11K in fuel each year? We're assuming most in Cherokee are capable of rational thought. Think about it!

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Now, let's return to Lauderdale County:

I don't know how Coffee Health Group ran their hospital(s), but I've recently gotten calls concerning 3 people who used my phone number at the emergency room. They all used different names, but my number. I understand that the new owners are anxious to collect past due bills, but I hope they've instituted a plan where they verify patients. It doesn't make me love them when they call me about people I've never heard of.

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Remaining in Florence, here's an interesting story concerning both our previous topic and an old favorite, Good Samaritan:

I lost my job a while back when the company I worked for closed (Good Samaritan Hospice, and yes, they were SLIME balls). I was the insurance provider or my family, as my husband is small business owner. A month after losing my job/insurance, I was hospitalized at ECM for 3 days unexpectedly (almost died).

Found out COBRA not available, so I have to pay a nearly $20,000 bill. Since then I have paid @ $3,000, and debt was bought out by attorney's office. Per new ECM poilicy, all debts must be paid 3 months after services. They wouldn't accept our payment plan of $200/month and are suing me. Delivered legal papers to me, via Sheriff's deputy, in front of my kids. Those papers cost an additional $3,400 for attorney's fees.

The deputy told me that they were delivering close to 1,000 of these. I have family that can help bail me out, but most don't, and will risk bankruptcy, foreclosure on their home, and at minimum, ruined credit. The worst part is that ECM would accept fraction of the bill from a large insurance co. and expect 100% from people who have no insurance and/or no job. I am not accepting help from my parents for now because I feel this fight is worth fighting.

Note: If you have any Good Samaritan accounts that can be verified, please send them to us. We regularly receive what could be termed gossip concerning the former Florence hospice, but nothing that is verifiable.



Shoalanda