Correct bc emergency rooms provide healthcare, mainly to nonemergency patients but on occasion, a patient with a valid medical emergency takes precedence over patient seeking emergency treatment for an infected, ingrown toenail he's had for almost 2 weeks. These nonemergency cases, who use er like a doctor's office, are just one of many reasons healthcare costs are unaffordable for most, even the insured.
I'm genuinely curious what you think doctors should do if patient is stable and medically cleared to be discharged from er? If patient can't afford to be seen by their family physician for follow up, and fill a maximum of 3 prescriptions, then ... what? Should the doctor falsify patients charge, claiming there's valid reason to admit patient? That's more affordable? An er bill will likely be couple thousand and if not an emergency, it's certainly not more affordable than a doctor visit and prescriptions.
Doctors aren't kicking patients "onto the streets," they're discharging them from er after providing treatment. 99% will walk to their car and drive/ride home. Should we force the 1% to go to shelters? Force their families to come pick them up? Force them into assisted living? We cannot force patients to do anything unless a danger to themselves or others; it's illegal and I would face consequences. A homeless man has a right to be homeless if he chooses. If an er doctor makes a tragic mistake, misdiagnosis leading to (example) medical trauma that could've been prevented, then the patient has a right to be compensated but I'm thankful that's very rare. We don't throw patients out on the street. We're not the enemy and do our best.
Indeed healthcare shouldn't be a luxury and although social medicine has its own array of problems, it's better than not being able to afford treatment. I work in a rural hospital and see more patients abusing Medicaid coverage by waiting until they get off work to go to er for X nonemergency prob bc he didn't want to miss any work and will qualify for financial assistance, likely a write off and pay nothing - but other patients end up paying for those visits via higher costs. If he went to his physician, it could cost $30 - $40 but varies, plus miss couple hours work. I realize some truly cannot afford to miss work and pay $40 bill and it's crap situation. Medicare patients abuse er on occasion, too. Most Mon - Thurs er aren't too awful busy unless full moon (lol) but come weekends, patients who've waited until their off from work will roll in, occasionally overwhelming an er. I don't have the answers for that and except those like ingrown toenail man, it's sad situation to be in.
Hospitals charging excessive fees are partially to blame for high insurance costs, as are prescription drug companies, supply companies, etc etc.
For these reasons, we're already paying higher costs footing bills for others so why not coverage for all? If Trump would keep his ass from taking weekly vacations, his near $200 million cost to taxpayers (plus his resort charges for security = his resorts/Trump profits) would pay for some to receive medical treatment. Some is better than none and a better investment imo that it going into his narcissist, criminal piggy bank. I realize this is an exceptionally long reply but I hope a few people will read it and maybe have a better understanding of the impossibility of "fixing" private health insurance. It's not gonna happen!
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