Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die

[Chris]

CHICAGO - Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study.

The findings by Harvard University researchers surprised doctors and health experts who have believed emergency room care was equitable.

"This is another drop in a sea of evidence that the uninsured fare much worse in their health in the United States," said senior author Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard surgeon and medical journalist.

Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die - Health care- msnbc.com

 

[uscitizen]

They should have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps gotten a good education and gotten a good job with insurance benefits.

Everyone knows all it takes is an education to get a good job with benefits.

 

[Dis]

They should have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps gotten a good education and gotten a good job with insurance benefits.

Everyone knows all it takes is an education to get a good job with benefits.

That, coupled with hard work worked for me...

 

[tigerbob]

They should have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps gotten a good education and gotten a good job with insurance benefits.

Everyone knows all it takes is an education to get a good job with benefits.

Why not just win the lottery and bypass all the boring education crap.

 

[Gatekeeper]

That's kind of like it was in the 70's when the government invoked DRG's Diagnostic Related Groups. It meant that when someone say comes into ER, or anywhere the hospital was only paid for what studies the government saidin their guidelines, such as an automobile accident with head injuries they only could take the minimum X-Rays and not a complete cervical study resulting I am sure in missed issues effecting the patient. If the hospital performed all the necessary procedures, they had to "EAT" the cost of anything not paid for by the restrictive DRG plan.

Now, with the Health Care BILL, I am afraid things will go right back and even worse. They don't even have a clue what it's going to cost, but one thing for sure, it will be many times the projected cost.

So that uninsured thing may apply to everyone who is insured too I am afraid. We'll see. And let's not forget, if one is TOO old and not going to be productive, well, adios, in so many words. They may very well be denied treatments or medication that will extend their lives.
This could take 1900 pages to discuss, so Im gonna post in short bursts....

 

[xotoxi]

That's kind of like it was in the 70's when the government invoked DRG's Diagnostic Related Groups. It meant that when someone say comes into ER, or anywhere the hospital was only paid for what studies the government saidin their guidelines, such as an automobile accident with head injuries they only could take the minimum X-Rays and not a complete cervical study resulting I am sure in missed issues effecting the patient. If the hospital performed all the necessary procedures, they had to "EAT" the cost of anything not paid for by the restrictive DRG plan.

Now, with the Health Care BILL, I am afraid things will go right back and even worse. They don't even have a clue what it's going to cost, but one thing for sure, it will be many times the projected cost.

So that uninsured thing may apply to everyone who is insured too I am afraid. We'll see. And let's not forget, if one is TOO old and not going to be productive, well, adios, in so many words. They may very well be denied treatments or medication that will extend their lives.
This could take 1900 pages to discuss, so Im gonna post in short bursts....

DRGs are currently in use, so I'm not sure what you mean about "going back" to them.

 

[uscitizen]

They should have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps gotten a good education and gotten a good job with insurance benefits.

Everyone knows all it takes is an education to get a good job with benefits.

That, coupled with hard work worked for me...

So everyone that works hard and gets a good education will get a good job with health insurance benefits?
Or lets just say a good enough job to buy health insurance?

 

[WillowTree]

what a bunch of garbage, doctors and nurses in an ER don't stop to check who's paying and who isn't when they treat trauma,, they just treat the damn trauma and let the hospital worry about collections.. don't you liberals ever get tired of the manure you spread? ever?

 

[WillowTree]

That's kind of like it was in the 70's when the government invoked DRG's Diagnostic Related Groups. It meant that when someone say comes into ER, or anywhere the hospital was only paid for what studies the government saidin their guidelines, such as an automobile accident with head injuries they only could take the minimum X-Rays and not a complete cervical study resulting I am sure in missed issues effecting the patient. If the hospital performed all the necessary procedures, they had to "EAT" the cost of anything not paid for by the restrictive DRG plan.

Now, with the Health Care BILL, I am afraid things will go right back and even worse. They don't even have a clue what it's going to cost, but one thing for sure, it will be many times the projected cost.

So that uninsured thing may apply to everyone who is insured too I am afraid. We'll see. And let's not forget, if one is TOO old and not going to be productive, well, adios, in so many words. They may very well be denied treatments or medication that will extend their lives.
This could take 1900 pages to discuss, so Im gonna post in short bursts....

DRGs are currently in use, so I'm not sure what you mean about "going back" to them.

ssssh! facts destroy their fairytales.

 

[Gatekeeper]

That's kind of like it was in the 70's when the government invoked DRG's Diagnostic Related Groups. It meant that when someone say comes into ER, or anywhere the hospital was only paid for what studies the government saidin their guidelines, such as an automobile accident with head injuries they only could take the minimum X-Rays and not a complete cervical study resulting I am sure in missed issues effecting the patient. If the hospital performed all the necessary procedures, they had to "EAT" the cost of anything not paid for by the restrictive DRG plan.

Now, with the Health Care BILL, I am afraid things will go right back and even worse. They don't even have a clue what it's going to cost, but one thing for sure, it will be many times the projected cost.

So that uninsured thing may apply to everyone who is insured too I am afraid. We'll see. And let's not forget, if one is TOO old and not going to be productive, well, adios, in so many words. They may very well be denied treatments or medication that will extend their lives.
This could take 1900 pages to discuss, so Im gonna post in short bursts....

DRGs are currently in use, so I'm not sure what you mean about "going back" to them.

Yes, I should have said they may become even worse, more restrictive, than they are now. More brilliant government accounting practices coming for all of us. "Going Back" that was my error. You all are so informed, that really scares the bejeezers out of those in Washington D.C.

 

[Gatekeeper]

Here's another fine example of how things are going to change and 'save' the government money, and make the insurance companies Billions more in profit.

MAMMOGRAMS at 50 now, instead of 40!

New U.S. guidelines: routine mammograms start at 50 | U.S. | Reuters

See, it's begun already..............what's next I wonder? I am sure these experts know exactly what their doing.

 

[saveliberty]

"The hospitals that treat them also could have fewer resources.

Those hospitals tend to be financially strapped, not have the same level of staffing, not have the same level of surgeons and testing and equipment," Gawande said. "That also is likely a major contributor."

"In the study, the overall death rate was 4.7 percent, so most emergency room patients survived their injuries. The commercially insured patients had a death rate of 3.3 percent. The uninsured patients' death rate was 5.7 percent. Those rates were before the adjustments for other risk factors."

Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die - Health care- msnbc.com

24 per 1,000 more die. Did they account for the distance to a truma center? Time kills too.

 

[Toronado3800]

Interesting.....In St. Louis Hospitals are somewhat further from the very poor areas.

Without a doubt folks with more money live a bit longer on average in America.

Even if they're freakishly tall basketball players with HIV.

Thanks for the good article.

 

[Care4all]

We do have the best health care in the USA that money can buy, no question...

 

[Care4all]

Here's another fine example of how things are going to change and 'save' the government money, and make the insurance companies Billions more in profit.

MAMMOGRAMS at 50 now, instead of 40!

New U.S. guidelines: routine mammograms start at 50 | U.S. | Reuters

See, it's begun already..............what's next I wonder? I am sure these experts know exactly what their doing.

How does THAT save the government money? Medicare insurance is for those over 65 and this would not affect our medicare costs.

This was put in to save the Insurance companies money, and screw the people....guaranteed the insurance companies LOBBIED for this.

Ever person I have known to have breast cancer was in their late 30's and 40's except my mother in law who got it at the age of 80.

 

[AllieBaba]

Gang members who shoot each other up hardly ever have insurance.

Not sure what it says about lack of insurance killing people. Oh wait, yes I do. It says nothing.

 

[uscitizen]

Under insured people are more likely to be in worse medical shape when they arrive in emergency rooms. They can't afford the DR's visits, testing, $200/mo prescriptions and such to keep them healthier

 

[saveliberty]

Well look at us hillbillies. We figured out what those Harvard Phd's couldn't. It only took us a couple of hours too.

 

[txlonghorn]

CHICAGO - Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study.

The findings by Harvard University researchers surprised doctors and health experts who have believed emergency room care was equitable.

"This is another drop in a sea of evidence that the uninsured fare much worse in their health in the United States," said senior author Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard surgeon and medical journalist.

Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die - Health care- msnbc.com

Silly rabbit...it's not that they didn't have heatlh insurance...it's that they didn't have good car insurance or good balance...or good aim. When you have a serious brain injury because you don't know how to drive real good, you have a tendancy to die in the hospital. When you can't walk across the street without dodging on coming traffic, your looking at a pretty tough survival rate. And for those poor schmucks out there that can't handle a gun...well...blame the NRA for their untimely deaths!!!

I'm sure Dr. Atool Jabberwocky is enjoying a nice all expense paid trip to the islands for his Harvard opinion. I wonder...did anybody ask him for that statistical data? Or are we just going to take the Harvard boy's word for it? Hmmm???

Sleep tight all... I have a big day of health insurance hunting to do tomorrow.

 

[Ame®icano]

CHICAGO - Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study.

The findings by Harvard University researchers surprised doctors and health experts who have believed emergency room care was equitable.

"This is another drop in a sea of evidence that the uninsured fare much worse in their health in the United States," said senior author Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard surgeon and medical journalist.

Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die - Health care- msnbc.com

Car accidents have nothing to do with health insurance since those injuries are covered by car insurance (at least in Michigan). And those who do not have insurance shouldn't be playing with guns.