This is something that most of us that do have health insurance haven’t given much thought to …. and should, as it effects all of us.
An increasing number of unemployed and uninsured Americans are
seeking treatment in hospital emergency departments, causing overcrowding that could make it difficult for the centers to handle such medical emergencies as heart attacks and trauma injuries, according to an American College of Emergency Physicians report released Tuesday.
The unemployed and uninsured are resorting to emergency departments because the departments must see all patients who enter their doors, regardless of ability to pay. But emergency departments are also seeing insured patients who don’t have quick access to regular doctors, the Times reported.
Isn’t it horrible to realize that this country has come to this? People going bankrupt over health issues. (Happened to me in August 2000) I read that most of the bankruptcies stem from medical issues. It is truly frightening. I know I had a severe case of poison ivy a few months ago. I couldn’t get into my doctor and I was suffering horribly. So I went to the clinic down the street. Got charged a horrific amount for a shot to ease my symptoms too. What a racket. If we don’t do something drastic about health care in this country, I shudder to think what things will be like in a few more years. I know here in Texas we have a critical shortage of doctors already. My husband is a physician. People realize that medicine is not the hot pick it once was. So fewer are going to med school.
Brenda
Sadly when ever I have been to the emergency room my symptoms have been so alarming that they have taken me right in, but in Chicago the emergency rooms range from sedate to third world.
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One thing that would be an obvious idea to cut the amounts spent on healthcare has been the universal system that France, Britain and Canada enjoy. They pay about 50% of what we do. (Krugman)
My hope is once this huge infrastructure project goes up (I remember telling you to do that in the last ‘stimulus’ package) is to work out health care. For these reasons:
1) People will shift their spending on health care to other needs, or better yet, save money again.
2) Deficit Mgmt. If Medicaid and Care could be streamlined, we can reduce the 11+ Trillion deficit (and growing immensely) we ultimately are going to have to pay down. Boomers will ultimately break the bank on this current system, leaving Gen X and Gen Y and Gen Z to manage enormous debt service without ANY services. Chaos is 20-25 years down the road if we don’t fix this trend.
3) Improves our competitiveness in industry. Auto industry is tied hugely to medical expenses that are 2-3X more than other manufacturers. If they could change the healthcare system this improves. Accross the board, the GDP we spend on healthcare has to be converted to new technologies, industries and energy platforms that are sustainable.
4) Insurance companies will shrink dramatically. Those people need to be ‘sacrifical lambs’ and give in to the pressures of hundreds of millions that are not going to benefit from the current ‘free market’ paradigm that is corrupt and controlled by lobbyists. However I can all ready see the ads (like the EnergyTommorrow.org current manipulations by kindly reminding us we have 60 years worth of reserves on current populations. How about after that — and what about more people???)
5) Drug companies. I guess their profits will have to come down. Maybe their focus should be on preventing illness – which cuts them down further, profits that is – instead of silly maintenance that is like a vampire tapping a victim for blood every so often. I thought they told us they looked for cures – a big heinous lie – and therefore, I have little sympathy for their demise. (Which is also why the auto industry best get its shit together too.)
I am uninsured. Have been since mid-2001. I am 36, but haven’t had a checkup in 9 years. I try to manage my health, lost 25 pounds recently, but I have aches I never did 5 years ago.
This country needs a wakeup and a consistent effort to face the challenges of the 21st century, else China might overtake us within a decade and will be at their mercy.
The sad thing is that even showing up at an emergency room is no guarantee. Google “patient dumping” and you’ll read about very sick people who were dropped on the street, untreated.
Ronni at Time Goes By has a post today on this. During the last election season one of the Republican candidates was slammed by his Democratic opponent (who later won) for saying just what Bush said in 2007: those without health insurance can always get care at the emergency room. I said then that the term ‘compassionate conservative’ was an oxymoron. As cilicious says there have been increasing reports of patient dumping by hospitals and some other horrific stories of patient neglect in the emergency rooms. Uninsured patients clogging the emergency for treatment of conditions that are not emergencies take resources away from those who have real emergencies. But as Ronni notes (citing a study in a medical journal) the factors which most strongly predict survival in emergency room treatment are race, ethnicity, and insurance status. Those least likely, by wide margins, to survive are blacks, hispanics and the uninsured.
Brenda – It is horrible and I’m sure in 2009 it will get much worse as more and more people lose their jobs and health insurance. For a country with our standing in the world our health care system is a disgrace. Obama sure has his work cut out for him.
Laoch – yes Chicago has some outstanding hospitals such as Northwestern Memorial, you are fortunate that you are able to go there.
JP – excellent thoughts! About the automotive industry the healthcare benefits and job banks have destroyed them (along with poor management). Few people realize the benefits the UAW workers receive. Kudos to you for the weight loss! I sincerely hope in the near future you will have insurance again. Good Luck!
Cilicious - I’ve never googled it but will!
Mary – I agree, those who are insured will fare the best in ER’s. But even that is no guarantee anymore with the current economy. I really think 2009 is going to be a rough one!
Thanks all for the great comments!
This has been going on for years. In the 90s the military started charging a $5 surcharge for the emergency room and the number of people going in for colds and sniffles dropped by over 80%! It was the only way they could keep people from using the emergency room as a non-emergency doctor service.
Elaine..good to be able to come and see you. I thoroughly enjoyed the blog and I am fairly up to date on the issues you spoke of, as did the commenters.
Carole
Grandalfe - well I don’t think it’s as simple as that. The number of people without insurance in this country is staggering, and the number unemployed are at numbers we haven’t seen for decades, or at least in my lifetime. The military has coverage, we’re talking about those who do not have any insurance. More than 1 million jobs have been lost this year…..many white collar and finding themselves for the first time without insurance. This is truly a crisis for our health care system.
Carole – good to see you here…hey leave the link to your blog next time so I can find your space.
This is such a shame! It does take away from the true emergencies and promotes inefficiency. There are always those looking for shortcuts, but what is their alternative? (assuming they truly need medical attention)
Emergency Departments really – a good post. i like this article.
Due to trolling I am moving my blog to blogger –
http://checkraise2.blogspot.com/
: (
Back again. I have put my website address back into Twitter..good idea and thank you for reminding me.
I liked the blog and although I am not a healthcare professional of any sort, nonetheless I am very aware of the problems..starting with the one you stated so well in your blog.
I have only had to go to the ER once (I am very well insured..this was a true emergency at almost midnight whereupon my tongue and throat swelled alarmingly. Of course it was an allergic reaction but who knew to what.
But as the triage I was seen right away. But the ER was filled to overflowing as I feel it must be more often than not, due to those who are having an emergency situation and those who have nowhere else to turn.
medical emergencies as heart attacks and trauma injuries, according to an American College of Emergency Physicians reports, I also read that report its horrible.If only insurance people gets treatment means then there is value for doctor and medical field…
The unemployed and uninsured are resorting to emergency departments because the departments must see all patients who enter their doors, regardless of ability to pay. But emergency departments are also seeing insured patients who don’t have quick access to regular doctors, the Times reported.
If only insurance people get treatment means then there is value for doctor and medical field. Uninsured patients clogging the emergency for treatment of conditions that are not emergencies take resources away from those who have real emergencies.