Former Rep. Jim Cooper rallies opposition against Alive Hospice sale
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Jim Cooper in 2022. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Former U.S. Rep Jim Cooper broke a six-month social media silence to lambast the possible sale of nonprofit Alive Hospice to a for-profit corporation.
Why it matters: Cooper's impassioned opposition ratchets up the campaign against the sale of Alive Hospice, a beloved Nashville-area institution that serves approximately 5,000 patients per year.
- Rumors have swirled for weeks, with the organization's founders and some of its biggest boosters criticizing a possible sale.
State of play: The former congressman lauded the quality of care his wife Martha Cooper received from Alive Hospice prior to her death in 2021 from Alzheimer's.
- In a lengthy Twitter thread last week, Cooper said the Alive Hospice board plans to consider selling the organization at a meeting on Wednesday. The for-profit Louisiana-based firm Amedisys would buy it, Cooper says.
- He argues that for-profit hospice care prioritizes business and pocketing a high percentage of Medicare payouts instead of devoting resources to patients.
What he's saying: Cooper encouraged his followers to "help save a Nashville treasure before it's too late." He called on people to contact the board of directors and Alive Hospice CEO Kimberly Goessele to speak out against a sale.
- "Why ruin a wonderful thing? @AliveHospice has served us well for 50 years," Cooper tweeted. "3rd oldest hospice in America. It's in strong financial shape & doesn't need to sell."
- "I'm not against for-profit businesses," Cooper said. "They pay taxes that paid my salary in Congress for years. But for-profits must help their customer patients. For-profit hospice doesn't have to because Medicare pays them $200/day for doing zero. Bad companies abuse a bad system."
The other side: Alive Hospice board chairperson Vicki Estrin tells Axios in an emailed statement, "We understand people are concerned by the current reports that are circulating, and appeal for calm. The Alive Board would never do anything that would harm the organization or jeopardize patients' and families' access to the vital clinical and mission-based services Alive provides."
- "We explore many more potential partnerships than we ever pursue and cannot speak to reports," Estrin said.
Between the lines: Cooper retired from Congress after 20 years after Tennessee lawmakers redrew his district to favor Republicans. His current wife Mary Falls is a former board chair of Alive Hospice.
Editor's note: This story was corrected to show that Martha Cooper died in 2021, not 2020.