I've heard a rumor about Ashcroft and the abortion witchunt at NW hospital

[evil_orange_cat]

To those that aren't aware... Attorney General John Ashcroft has been subpoenaing doctor's records from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in the Chicago area. He is engaging in an abortion witch-hunt of some sort, aimed at intimidating the doctors in question.

My mother is a director level manager at a major health care company in the Chicago/Wisconsin area. She recently became aware that the Federal Trade Commission has put Northwestern Memorial hospital under some unrelated investigation in order to further intimidate the abortion doctors working there.

To my dismay, I haven't found any stories about these new breaking events. I think the investigation by the FTC just started to day. Could you guys please try to locate some information about this new investigation if possible? These tactics of intimidation are wrong and we need to expose Ashcroft and his abuse of government power.

Thank you... as I learn more I will update the story.

[nofurylike]

1. was on yahoo

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=58&u=/nm/20040213/ts_nm/rights_abortion_dc_2


my mom and i fuming about this today


peace!

[question everything]

2. Was posted on the Breaking News thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=362852

A federal judge in Chicago has already thrown out a subpoena against Northwestern University Medical Center because, he said, it was a "significant intrusion" on patient privacy, and hospital administrators in other cities are contesting the demand as well.

[evil_orange_cat]

4. no dude, this is a new story... the FTC... insurance Companies

... the insurance companies are crying foul, despite their record profits. They claim that they are being treated unfairly. Hospitals want to negotiate a price with pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies to lower the costs and stop excess wastage. The insurance companies are trying to intimidate the Hospital in response to block Ashcroft's abortion witch-hunt.

[madrchsod]

3. this was up here yesterday

why in the hell is the ftc going after northwestern? see nothing in the suntimes or trib.

[Union Thug]

5. Chicago Biz article here

Here's the

Chicago Business article from a couple days ago.

And here is Ashcroft in action: