How should emergency medical care be handled in an ideal world?

[SpidermanTuba]

Scenario:

Person with life threatening illness or injury shows up at hospital emergency room. They have no proof of health insurance. They need immediate care or they will die.

EDIT:

Note that in this scenario, from the hospital's point of view, the patient cannot reasonably be expected to ever pay off any significant amount of the debt.

 

[L.K.Eder]

in an ideal world, the patient gets the best effort of all involved. money is not an issue in the ideal world.

 

[txlonghorn]

You left out one...the patient is treated and if successful is given a reasonable payment plan with the chance to pay off the expenses that AREN'T overpriced. If it's not a successful treatment and the patient dies, then it's a % split between the hospital and the patient's estate.

Medical costs that aren't balooned to unrealistic levels would exist in this ideal world I would assume.

 

[WillowTree]

"obama money"

 

[AllieBaba]

Stupidest thread EVAH.

 

[dilloduck]

By professionals

 

[ihopehefails]

I put 'the patient is left to die'. It did not matter if they had money or not. We should just let them die.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

You left out one...the patient is treated and if successful is given a reasonable payment plan with the chance to pay off the expenses that AREN'T overpriced.

In this scenario the patient can not reasonably be expected to ever pay it off.

 

[Truthmatters]

Who would Jesus treat?

 

[Defiant1]

You trade in your free pony for payment of the bill.

 

[Meister]

Who would Jesus treat?

The baby who was about to be aborted.

 

[Meister]

You left out one...the patient is treated and if successful is given a reasonable payment plan with the chance to pay off the expenses that AREN'T overpriced. If it's not a successful treatment and the patient dies, then it's a % split between the hospital and the patient's estate.

Medical costs that aren't balooned to unrealistic levels would exist in this ideal world I would assume.

Like a negotiated price to one's ability to pay....it's done all the time right now.

 

[DiamondDave]

You left out one...the patient is treated and if successful is given a reasonable payment plan with the chance to pay off the expenses that AREN'T overpriced.

In this scenario the patient can not reasonably be expected to ever pay it off.

Only because an idiot winger such as yourself thinks so....

Nobody else exists to pay for your own personal needs.. if you incur a 100K hospital bill and you only have $5K at your disposal, you are still indeed responsible for the rest.. not some nanny government, not Joe Sixpack down the street, and not the hospital by charging someone else more for the same treatment...

You also forget that there is generosity out there.. VOLUNTARY generosity.... and people can and do approach these charities all the time to ask (not the key word ASK, not demand at the expense of someone else) for help in their time of need... and the charities are much better with handling the funds given than the red-tape and bureaucracy filled government system... where the money from the people and organizations that donate goes a lot further

So in short
The patient is treated and if successful is given a reasonable payment plan with the chance to pay off the expenses that AREN'T overpriced... The patient is free to approach others for charity and voluntary help.. but in the end personal upkeep is one's own personal responsibility

 

[Againsheila]

Interesting question. I know a 24 year old man with a minimum wage job and no healthcare who is finding out today if he has chronic leukemia. Who will pay for his treatment? Is he not worthy of treatment because he doesn't have a job that provides healthcare? Or because he comes from a poor family?

 

[Jarhead]

The way it was being done until the passing of the Healthcare reform bill turned law was fine. Anfd that way will still be used for a couple of years.

Contrary to those that used talking points, the only one left to die in an emergency room in recent history was a poor woman who was the victim of a receptionist who was negligent in her responsibilities.

 

[Againsheila]

Since most of the hospital's I know are non-profit...I put the patient is saved at the expense of the hospital's owners. Funny how our local non-profit hospital always has money to remodel and upgrade. Heck, all their rooms are now private rooms. I remember being in a hospital and sharing a room with 3 old ladies when I was 16. I hated it. No tv, no nothing, just medical care. Now they have everything and they charge for it, big time. I see no reason for private rooms at the cost of health-care to the poor.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

Since most of the hospital's I know are non-profit...I put the patient is saved at the expense of the hospital's owners.

Since its a non-profit - that won't work - the owners have no profits with which to part. So clearly in that case the money comes out of the pockets of paying patients.
[/quote]

Funny how our local non-profit hospital always has money to remodel and upgrade. Heck, all their rooms are now private rooms. I remember being in a hospital and sharing a room with 3 old ladies when I was 16. I hated it. No tv, no nothing, just medical care. Now they have everything and they charge for it, big time. I see no reason for private rooms at the cost of health-care to the poor.

I see no reason for it for anyone except the wealthy and those who medical needs require it. The purpose of a hospital is to treat people who are sick and injured, not to provide a hotel room. God forbid I require hospitalization anytime soon, but if I do, I'm fine sharing a room if it means a huge chunk of the hospital bill is cheaper. With technology nowadays - hospitals don't even really need TV's to keep patients entertained - all they need is a wifi connection.

 

[DiamondDave]

Since most of the hospital's I know are non-profit...I put the patient is saved at the expense of the hospital's owners. Funny how our local non-profit hospital always has money to remodel and upgrade. Heck, all their rooms are now private rooms. I remember being in a hospital and sharing a room with 3 old ladies when I was 16. I hated it. No tv, no nothing, just medical care. Now they have everything and they charge for it, big time. I see no reason for private rooms at the cost of health-care to the poor.

That is not your call or anyone else's call except those who fund and support the hospital....

If I run a company and designate it not for profit and I want brand new fancy cushy chairs and LED TV's instead of cheap projectors and CRT's to use in operations... you do not get to tell me that I can't because you would rather see some services I provide given for free to 'the poor'...

You wish to have a cheap basic care facility that gives free care to the poor.. you have every freedom to do so... knock yourself out

 

[Big Black Dog]

Just push the gurney out into the parking lot. Next to the dumpster would be ok.

 

[Jarhead]

Just push the gurney out into the parking lot. Next to the dumpster would be ok.

The gurney or the granny?

Or the granny on the gurney?