Quote:
Originally Posted by PiKA2001
I went to the ER right after college before I had my own insurance, they never even bothered to give me a bill. They just sent my information straight to a collection agency, which by the way is still on my credit report. I was so mad about that at the time. If people are so upset about the current ER system they should just work the system give a fake name and SSN when they have to go, not like they can turn you away.
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Trust me, it happens all the time. I trained in a charity system. We didn't even know how to tell if you had insurance! I'd be pretty ticked off if they sent me to a collection agency without trying to collect from me first. Louisiana actually has a really good indigent care system, though it is under funded and our poor generally don't get into the system until their disease processes are quite advanced. You have to know the system is available to take part of it. Shimano is really cracking me up with his "who pays for the ER visits?" Of course, we all pay for these visits....it's THE most expensive way to treat patients. I was seen in the ER for 15 minutes for a migraine from door to door with a CT in between (it helps when you work there!) and my bill was $900. It costs a lot less to be seen by a primary care physician in his/her office. If you want to bring down costs, insure the illegal immigrants and poor who are clogging up our ERs and give them all a primary care physician who can see them cheaply. This will go a LONG way to bring down costs. There you go Shimano...a plan that NO ONE will champion to reduce costs. BUT it would bring down costs. Your plan-- don't let anyone who doesn't have an insurance card through the doors of an ER-- would result in a pile of dead people outside the ER bay doors and would result in an outcry so loud we'd never hear the end of it!
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