topic Re: My Simple Proposal... in Community Chat

My Simple Proposal...

terrier3 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:13:57 GMT

People use the ER because they have limited alternatives.

The ER/ambulance companies/labs/pharmacies have no incentive to change things. They make a ton of money providing this kind of care to everyone who shows up.

We need family practice neighborhood clinics open 7 days a week and late hours. They need to have labs/pharmacies attached. Anyone can come in for treatment....like the new immediate care facilities that have been opening lately.

As long as ERs and ambulance companies get reimbursed big bucks for people looking for a cheap way to treat a sore throat late at night...costs will continue to rise.

Every time I have posted this...it gets poofed.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

tansy — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:17:09 GMT

Around here every time a good-sized building is empty an urgent-care clinic pops up. The clinics are open in the evenings and on the weekends.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

pinkskates4 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:18:16 GMT

But I thought you said people didn't have transportation - and taking the bus late at night is surely not as easy as calling an ambulance.

What about actually penalizing people who call an ambulance when it is not remotely an emergency?

You act like it's the ambulance companies fault - and yet you would be the first to scream if they refused to respond.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

terrier3 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:20:09 GMT

On 1/3/2014 tansy said: Around here every time a good-sized building is empty an urgent-care clinic pops up. The clinics are open in the evenings and on the weekends.

When they are as lucrative as ER treatment reimbursement, they will meet the needs of neighborhoods, where transportation and weird working hours keep people from regular MD office hours.

Just think of how tough our current system is if you have to rely on bus transportation. First the doctor, then another trip to a lab...then another to the drug store.

Then try doing that at 11 PM when you get out of your shift flipping burgers!

Re: My Simple Proposal...

guatmum — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:20:50 GMT

I think clinics are a good idea. We have many around here and people often use them when they can't get to the doctor because of timing, etc.

As far as penalizing ambulance users, I'd never do that. If you have no one to drive you to the doctor/hospital and you are ready to vomit every 2 minutes, I don't want you trying to drive down the road with me. Possibly the clinics could have drivers for those unable to drive safely themselves.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

terrier3 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:21:54 GMT

On 1/3/2014 Dagna said:
But I thought you said people didn't have transportation - and taking the bus late at night is surely not as easy as calling an ambulance.

What about actually penalizing people who call an ambulance when it is not remotely an emergency?

You act like it's the ambulance companies fault - and yet you would be the first to scream if they refused to respond.

What about not reimbursing the ambulance company for transporting people with sore throats?

That will end that misuse immediately...

Until they stop making big bucks from transporting people with minor issues...it will continue.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

nunya — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:21:55 GMT

We have 2 clinics here, but the hrs are limited. Which leaves the emergency room the only other option for some.

Ambulance price is ridiculous. We have now become yearly members of the local ambulance service, they forgive whatever amount the insurance won't pay. Learned this the hard way, by ambulance to the hospital 1 mile away was $800.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

pinkskates4 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:22:19 GMT

On 1/3/2014 guatmum said:
I think clinics are a good idea. We have many around here and people often use them when they can't get to the doctor because of timing, etc.

As far as penalizing ambulance users, I'd never do that. If you have no one to drive you to the doctor/hospital and you are ready to vomit every 2 minutes, I don't want you trying to drive down the road with me. Possibly the clinics could have drivers for those unable to drive safely themselves.

OP specifically mentioned a sore throat. You seriously think this requires an ambulance?

Re: My Simple Proposal...

terrier3 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:22:56 GMT

On 1/3/2014 guatmum said:
I think clinics are a good idea. We have many around here and people often use them when they can't get to the doctor because of timing, etc.

As far as penalizing ambulance users, I'd never do that. If you have no one to drive you to the doctor/hospital and you are ready to vomit every 2 minutes, I don't want you trying to drive down the road with me. Possibly the clinics could have drivers for those unable to drive safely themselves.

I have noticed that a lot of these immediate care places are now providing vans....great idea and much less costly.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

SoX — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:23:34 GMT

I don't want to be the one responsible for having this thread disappear like the other two, but let's just wait for another Harvard/MIT study to give us an alternative to a mindset of those at the bottom rung of the economic ladder.

This is a learned behavior and it will take more than a study to convince this segment of society to change their ways.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

Gooday — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:24:23 GMT

The administration will sort this all out. Maybe, just maybe with the 2,000 pages of rules and regulations they could have made some sort of law for that as well. Maybe they ran out of money the first time and could not afford another 300M.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

terrier3 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:24:26 GMT

On 1/3/2014 Dagna said:
On 1/3/2014 guatmum said:
I think clinics are a good idea. We have many around here and people often use them when they can't get to the doctor because of timing, etc.

As far as penalizing ambulance users, I'd never do that. If you have no one to drive you to the doctor/hospital and you are ready to vomit every 2 minutes, I don't want you trying to drive down the road with me. Possibly the clinics could have drivers for those unable to drive safely themselves.

OP specifically mentioned a sore throat. You seriously think this requires an ambulance?

The problem is that the ambulance company gets reimbursed no matter what the illness. They drive people to the most expensive form of treatment there is...the ER. They all make a ton of money.

They need vans to bring people to 24 hours immediate care places...much less expensive!

Re: My Simple Proposal...

brii — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:25:30 GMT

I have an Urgent Care Clinic maybe 1-2 miles from my house. Blue Cross will not pay for this facility - they did at one time, but not longer. The one time we used it, they wound up sending us to the ER anyway. My husband was having a gall bladder attack.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

nunya — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:25:35 GMT

On 1/3/2014 terrier2 said:
On 1/3/2014 Dagna said:
But I thought you said people didn't have transportation - and taking the bus late at night is surely not as easy as calling an ambulance.

What about actually penalizing people who call an ambulance when it is not remotely an emergency?

You act like it's the ambulance companies fault - and yet you would be the first to scream if they refused to respond.

What about not reimbursing the ambulance company for transporting people with sore throats?

That will end that misuse immediately...

Until they stop making big bucks from transporting people with minor issues...it will continue.

I was told by an ambulance driver, once they are called they have to transport the patient or the police will be involved.

I asked at the ER and the Dr said wrong. You can refuse, but I was still wondering why they said this. Money perhaps?

Re: My Simple Proposal...

terrier3 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:26:42 GMT

On 1/3/2014 nunya said:
On 1/3/2014 terrier2 said:
On 1/3/2014 Dagna said:
But I thought you said people didn't have transportation - and taking the bus late at night is surely not as easy as calling an ambulance.

What about actually penalizing people who call an ambulance when it is not remotely an emergency?

You act like it's the ambulance companies fault - and yet you would be the first to scream if they refused to respond.

What about not reimbursing the ambulance company for transporting people with sore throats?

That will end that misuse immediately...

Until they stop making big bucks from transporting people with minor issues...it will continue.

I was told by an ambulance driver, once they are called they have to transport the patient or the police will be involved.

I asked at the ER and the Dr said wrong. You can refuse, but I was still wondering why they said this. Money perhaps?

BINGO!

Re: My Simple Proposal...

Qwackertoo — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:27:22 GMT

We need more Doctors and Nurse Practitioners and Physician's Assistants to staff those clinic. We either have to import them . . . or . . . graduate more medical students which will take time.

I think the health industry would be benefited by the paying of students medical school or portion thereof and a contract to work so many years in a clinic . . . which I think they already do similar, maybe a state does it like Virginia, for very rural areas. Much like the military doctors . . . get their education paid for, return their service in payment for that debt . . . and then continue on later in private practice. But this will take both Time AND Money.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

Marianne1 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:27:55 GMT

Case in point today. We are fortunate to have (and pay for $$$$) very good insurance; however, I called this am for my son who is sick. No answer (snow here). Even if they were there, chances are they would not be able to fit him in (and it is a Friday, so he would have to wait until Monday).

The good news…our insurance also covers Urgent Cares and Minute Clinics, with the same $20 copay as the regular doctor. So, he will be seen today (he is there now, I believe).

The doctors' offices are difficult to get into for "emergency" (non-scheduled) appointments, but he does not need an ER visit--so clinics are great for the stopgap.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

terrier3 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:28:00 GMT

On 1/3/2014 brii said:
I have an Urgent Care Clinic maybe 1-2 miles from my house. Blue Cross will not pay for this facility - they did at one time, but not longer. The one time we used it, they wound up sending us to the ER anyway. My husband was having a gall bladder attack.

Our local insurers have gone back & forth re: reimbursement to immediate care centers.

They need to work it out...it will save us all a lot of money.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

guatmum — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:28:01 GMT

On 1/3/2014 nunya said:
On 1/3/2014 terrier2 said:
On 1/3/2014 Dagna said:
But I thought you said people didn't have transportation - and taking the bus late at night is surely not as easy as calling an ambulance.

What about actually penalizing people who call an ambulance when it is not remotely an emergency?

You act like it's the ambulance companies fault - and yet you would be the first to scream if they refused to respond.

What about not reimbursing the ambulance company for transporting people with sore throats?

That will end that misuse immediately...

Until they stop making big bucks from transporting people with minor issues...it will continue.

I was told by an ambulance driver, once they are called they have to transport the patient or the police will be involved.

I asked at the ER and the Dr said wrong. You can refuse, but I was still wondering why they said this. Money perhaps?

Maybe they have to transport if the patient insists. A patient can refuse to go no matter how sick they may be.

Re: My Simple Proposal...

pinkskates4 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 20:28:05 GMT

On 1/3/2014 terrier2 said:
On 1/3/2014 Dagna said:
But I thought you said people didn't have transportation - and taking the bus late at night is surely not as easy as calling an ambulance.

What about actually penalizing people who call an ambulance when it is not remotely an emergency?

You act like it's the ambulance companies fault - and yet you would be the first to scream if they refused to respond.

What about not reimbursing the ambulance company for transporting people with sore throats?

That will end that misuse immediately...

Until they stop making big bucks from transporting people with minor issues...it will continue.

Oh right - set them up for lawsuits when they make a decision over the phone not to respond.

No rather than punish those trying to save lives, let's punish those abusing the system.