Some hospitals have begun charging an upfront fee (up to $350) for people who come to their ER (emergency room) wanting treatment for routine (nonemergency) problems. The hospitals say they began this policy to reduce the ‘bad debt’ (some of those people do not have insurance and will not pay their bills) and to free up their emergency room resources for people who fit the criteria of “emergency,” such as car crashes, violent assaults, heart attacks and strokes, appendicitis and other situations that a clinic setting could not meet. Kaiser Health News, Hospitals Demand Payment Upfront from ER Patients with Routine Problems, http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/February/19/Hospitals-Demand-Payment-Upfront-From-ER-Patients.aspx
Until this change of practice, a person could go to a hospital and be seen and treated for anything. During the cold and flu season, emergency rooms around the country find many people coming for illnesses that their doctor’s office/clinic could easily care for.
I recognize some people have lost their jobs and insurance. It is not my intent to debate healthcare policy in this blog. However, I found this change interesting. Watch this situation.
No comments:
Post a Comment