Comments on: The ER crisis http://www.medrants.com/archives/4051 Internal medicine, American health care, and especially medical education Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:15:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: country solo doctor http://www.medrants.com/archives/4051/comment-page-1#comment-523627 country solo doctor Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:38:00 +0000 http://www.medrants.com/?p=4051#comment-523627 My two local ED depts seem to have a surplus of medicaid patients. No copay is required for ED visits, but a $2 copay is required for office visits. The HMOs and PPOs are raising ED copayments to $100-$250 for 2009. Self paying patients routinely don't want to pay $80 for an office visit and use the ER for free care. For insured patients, many of them can't get in for weeks to see primary care doctors for simple sinus infections and UTIs. Part of the clogging is non urgent care being delivered for free and patients can be made to wait for hours but cannot be turned away for nonurgent conditions. My two local ED depts seem to have a surplus of medicaid patients. No copay is required for ED visits, but a $2 copay is required for office visits. The HMOs and PPOs are raising ED copayments to $100-$250 for 2009. Self paying patients routinely don’t want to pay $80 for an office visit and use the ER for free care. For insured patients, many of them can’t get in for weeks to see primary care doctors for simple sinus infections and UTIs. Part of the clogging is non urgent care being delivered for free and patients can be made to wait for hours but cannot be turned away for nonurgent conditions.

]]> By: shadowfax http://www.medrants.com/archives/4051/comment-page-1#comment-523605 shadowfax Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:56:59 +0000 http://www.medrants.com/?p=4051#comment-523605 <i>First, we need a primary care infrastructure so that patients do not go to the ED for primary care. The ED must handle patients better handled through primary care.</i> Amen, brother. I will also predict that line will get you a link from Kevin MD tomorrow. Cheers, Sf First, we need a primary care infrastructure so that patients do not go to the ED for primary care. The ED must handle patients better handled through primary care.

Amen, brother. I will also predict that line will get you a link from Kevin MD tomorrow.

Cheers,

Sf

]]> By: Govindan http://www.medrants.com/archives/4051/comment-page-1#comment-523604 Govindan Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:11:38 +0000 http://www.medrants.com/?p=4051#comment-523604 The ED crisis is tough not only on the ED Physician but also for the patients. The ED crisis is tough not only on the ED Physician but also for the patients.

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