Emergency Medicine (for the rich)...

[CERuppel]

This is looking bad...

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/03/po...03HEAL.html?hp

The way I read this, not only are the emergency medical centers going to be able to say "We don't like the color of your money" but you are going to be hard pressed to take them to task for it later. Aren't these same centers getting local, state, and federal funding? And aren't they bound by those same funds to treat the public?

On another angle is your insurance good enough? Here in Oakland county I have watched the HAP HMO going downhill steadily. First it was just some specialists, high priced ones at that, so I was not to concerned. Then one hospitol dropped them. Then another. Most recently an entire hospitol network (unrelated to the others) dropped HAP like a hot potato.

With this new change to emergency medical care I can see people, even well off middle class working peole with medical coverage and money in the bank being denied care. And then finding out that the horror of serious, even crippling injury or death, is not something for which they can sue or otherwise seek restitution.

In other words, this scares me. And ticks me off.

I already have one hospital in my local area that will not participate in my major medical's PPO program, and the other close-by hospital may be dropped soon. Definitely not a fun situation.

[nunyadam]

thank god I work in a hospital. there are serious issues with healthcare that need looked into. for one insurance companies pay only a percentage of the bill. plus they make deals to pay a cut rate. medicade/medicare. pay pennies on the dollar.

how do hospitals make up the difference? the same way stores make a profit. mark up on the cost. i know of items that cost the hospital i work at that cost say $85 that they charge $480.
plus alot of them run as not for profit, but when you go digging theres a foundation that supports the non profit hospital.

[no1_vern]

I am willing to help, as long as its honestly requested.

Telling me that the hospital has to charge me $21.00 for 2 tylenol tablets(.18 each) IS BS !

Charging me and my provider $256.00 for an X-ray that costs the hospital $115.00(technicians time and physicians time plus materials costs) to produce is also off. I think that 15% profit is all they need to MAKE A PROFIT. $135.00($132.25) for the X-ray should be plenty to pay for it.

Having a person waiting in the prep room prior to an important operation, and CHARGING HER $300.00 per hour for 1.5 hours ($450.00) while she waited for the surgeon to show up is BS.

Many of the people around here are too poor for the medical care they recieve, NOT because they cant pay for the hospital costs, but because the hospital DELIBERATELY INFLATES the prices 200% to 300% to "ensure" they have enough to pay their stock holders the 5% to 10% that the hospital promised them.

[Knothead]

What amazes me is, we've had this medical crisis going on for, like, how long? The American Medical Association has grown into one of the most powerful lobbies there is, and these guys are pricing medical care clear out of the reach of a large percentage of Americans...

I don't have insurance, can't afford it. Something happens to me, that's it, I'm dead.

The only thing I can see that will solve this terrible situation is socialized medicine, like they have in most other civilized countries in the world. Not a perfect solution, perhaps, but it would sure beat the pants off of what we've got now!

Of course, the A.M.A. will step in and not only squash that, but the career of any politician dumb enough to try and enact it...as they have done in the past!