ER costs - not what the left pretends they are

[Avatar4321]

Are most emergency room visits really unnecessary? - By Zachary F. Meisel and Jesse M. Pines - Slate Magazine

The left is always trying to argue that we waste so much money going to the ER and that health care reform is going to change all that. But let's look at the actual numbers shall we?

ER care is less than %3 of health care spending
Of that %3, only %12 is what would be considered non-urgent.

So let's stop pretending that passing Obamacare is going to cut costs by eliminating wasteful ER spending. That wont put a dent in it. That isnt the problem.

 

[Christopher]

I loved the ending of the article:

Ultimately, there's no reason to single out the ER as being more unnecessary than any other health care service. Saving health care dollars is about keeping people well and preventing the use of unnecessary medical procedures and tests, most of which are delivered outside the ER. What we should be doing is reducing unnecessary illness related to the culture of McDonald's, Marlboro, and Michelob by making sure people eat their veggies, take their blood pressure medication, and go for regular runs. Preventing people from getting sick will lower the use of emergency care—not by keeping the worried well from coming in but by avoiding the heart attacks and strokes in the first place.