I think one part of the problem (and I will admit I am not sure hoe big or small it is in the grand scheme of things) is that people tend to use the ER as their personal physician's office. I used to see people all the time come to the ER for ridiculous reasons and some of them actually call an ambulance too. The cost of an ER visit has got to be much higher than a trip to a doctor's office for some of these issues (like a toothache - I shit you not - I cannot even count how many times people came to the ER, or called for an ambulance, for a fucking toothache).
So, I think part of the solution is to educate the 'consumer', let them know how the system is supposed to work. But, sadly, if they are too stupid to realize that a toothache is not an 'emergency' all the education in the world won't help. Again, I am not sure how big of an issue this really is, but from my 20 years in EMS, it was pretty prevalent. On Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 8:34 AM, G Money<[email protected]> wrote: > > I think the problem is...the system works great, for those of us with access > too it. > > For the millions without access to it for whatever reason....these stories > seem impossible. > > So how do you try to provide quality healthcare to these people, without > compromising the quality of the care that you and I have always received? > > On Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 7:12 AM, Scott Stroz <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> I can share another story. >> >> My wife and I decided it was time to start having children. She got >> pregnant, we paid a $20 co-pay on her first visit to OB/GYN. We paid >> nothing for each subsequent visit. My wife went into labor and after >> quite a few hours of labor, the Dr. decided that she needed a >> c-section. Fast forward 24 hours and my son was diagnosed with a >> stroke. He was moved to another hospital and spent 15 days in the >> Neonatal ICU before being discharged. How much extra did the >> unexpected c-section and stay in NICU cost us? Nothing. >> >> So, for $20 we got 9 months of doctors visits, including ultrasounds, >> blook work, etc, PLUS a 4 day stay in hospital for surgery/recovery >> PLUS a 15 day stay in an intensive care unit with blood work, MRIs, CT >> Scans, etc. If that is broke, I would love to see how it would work >> when its fixed. >> >> On Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 8:06 AM, G Money<[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > Let me tell you another story.... >> > >> > While out playing football with my friends, I come down awkwardly on my >> > knee. It hurts for several days, so I go see my doctor. I pay him my $15 >> > dollar co pay, he refers me to a knee specialist. The specialist sees me >> the >> > next day, diagnoses a torn ACL, suggests surgery if I want to remain >> active. >> > A week later, I have my elective surgery, then 6 months of rehab, and >> > finally, a fitted, constructed-just-for-me knee brace. >> > >> > Total cost: $15 copay for initial visit. >> > >> > Immediate, top of the line care for an elective surgery to ensure a >> better >> > standard of living....for fifteen bucks. >> > >> > Now...I don't know if my experience is the exception or the rule.....but >> > it's worth noting that there are those of us who've had nothing but good >> > experiences with our "broken" health care system. >> > >> > On Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 6:13 PM, Michael Grant <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> >> >> >> That's a brutal story. I count my lucky stars that I have nationalised >> >> healthcare. Waiting an extra week for non-emergency care is worth it to >> >> know >> >> I'm at least going to get care. No matter what. >> >> >> >> This was a link at the bottom of the story. Pretty funny. Or sad, since >> >> it's >> >> pretty much true. >> >> >> >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzDwXr9szxw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edailykos%2Ecom%2Fstory%2F2009%2F7%2F7%2F751100%2F%2DHow%2DI%2Dlost%2Dmy%2Dhealth%2Dinsurance%2Dat%2Dthe%2Dhairstylists&feature=player_embedded >> >> >> >> On Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 5:41 PM, Sandra Clark <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/7/751100/-How-I-lost-my-health-insu >> >> > rance-at-the-hairstylists >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> > >> > >> >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Want to reach the ColdFusion community with something they want? Let them know on the House of Fusion mailing lists Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:299669 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
