why medical care is so expensive..

[libertytyranny]

did I really see this on CNN?

Health care industry sick with medical waste - CNN.com


According to a 2008 report by Pricewaterhouse Cooper's Health Research Institute, wasteful spending accounts for $1.2 trillion of the $2.2 trillion spent on health care in the United States. The medical waste includes costs associated with inefficient insurance claims processing, defensive medicine, preventable hospital readmissions, medical errors, and unnecessary emergency room visits.



Ding, ding, ding. None of which can be fixed by the gov't. And certainly not by any ideas being bandied about now.

From what I have seen, those unnecessary ER visits happen a lot more often than most think. In a typical 12 hour shift down there..probably only about 4 or so hours is spent on legitimate emergency. The rest is "cold symptoms" (what are we sup to do?), "headache" (9/10 times is code for I want narcotic pain medication and a free meal while i watch tv and get a doctors note to get off of my fast food job), "I fell and my ___ hurts" (9/10 times its nothing, and most can wait to see a doc), "nausea" (drink a gingerale and go see your real doc), and the WORST waste IMO ...cops bringing drunks in to "sober up", did you know we have to keep them there until they hit a certan bac? And usually they are pissed they are there so we have to assign them someone to sit with them until they can leave? and inevitably they get ativan, or pain killers for the "headache they just developed" sometimes they have to be there for 10+ hours, all the while YOU are paying for them to have a sitter..because they almost NEVER have insurance. They get blood drawn every few hours (lab is expensive)..they monpolize doc time, keep rooms filled that could have actual patients in them, and ##### the whole time and keep myself and security busy.


And the worst for hospital readmissions? MEDICARE patients.


Finally someone sees it.

 

[ylexot]

inefficient insurance claims processing - the domain of the insurance companies unless some of that process is mired in government-mandated red tape

defensive medicine - helped by enacting tort reform :hint: :hint:

unnecessary emergency room visits - I would have thought this meant all the uninsured going to the emergency room for care. Personally, I think they should be allowed to turn away non-emergencies.

 

[chernmax]

did I really see this on CNN?

Health care industry sick with medical waste - CNN.com


According to a 2008 report by Pricewaterhouse Cooper's Health Research Institute, wasteful spending accounts for $1.2 trillion of the $2.2 trillion spent on health care in the United States. The medical waste includes costs associated with inefficient insurance claims processing, defensive medicine, preventable hospital readmissions, medical errors, and unnecessary emergency room visits.



Ding, ding, ding. None of which can be fixed by the gov't. And certainly not by any ideas being bandied about now.

From what I have seen, those unnecessary ER visits happen a lot more often than most think. In a typical 12 hour shift down there..probably only about 4 or so hours is spent on legitimate emergency. The rest is "cold symptoms" (what are we sup to do?), "headache" (9/10 times is code for I want narcotic pain medication and a free meal while i watch tv and get a doctors note to get off of my fast food job), "I fell and my ___ hurts" (9/10 times its nothing, and most can wait to see a doc), "nausea" (drink a gingerale and go see your real doc), and the WORST waste IMO ...cops bringing drunks in to "sober up", did you know we have to keep them there until they hit a certan bac? And usually they are pissed they are there so we have to assign them someone to sit with them until they can leave? and inevitably they get ativan, or pain killers for the "headache they just developed" sometimes they have to be there for 10+ hours, all the while YOU are paying for them to have a sitter..because they almost NEVER have insurance. They get blood drawn every few hours (lab is expensive)..they monpolize doc time, keep rooms filled that could have actual patients in them, and ##### the whole time and keep myself and security busy.


And the worst for hospital readmissions? MEDICARE patients.


Finally someone sees it.

Just imagine the cost alone of unnecessary Emergency Room visits by insuring and additional 30-37 million uninsured who now feel entitled! Many don't work or can't work thus have all day to chill in an ER if they have too...

 

[ImnoMensa]

Just imagine the cost alone of unnecessary Emergency Room visits by insuring and additional 30-37 million uninsured who now feel entitled! Many don't work or can't work thus have all day to chill in an ER if they have too...

I havent seen that many drunks brought in by cops to sober up, I thought they usually took them to jail for that, but I have seen plenty of Drug Overdoses.

The problem of Doctors checking for every little (defensive Medicine)thing to protect themselves from lawsuits could be solved with Tort reform, but dont expect a fraternity of lawyers such as Congress to pass anything like that.

 

[libertytyranny]

I havent seen that many drunks brought in by cops to sober up, I thought they usually took them to jail for that, but I have seen plenty of Drug Overdoses.

The problem of Doctors checking for every little (defensive Medicine)thing to protect themselves from lawsuits could be solved with Tort reform, but dont expect a fraternity of lawyers such as Congress to pass anything like that.

I had at least 1-3 everytime I was in the er. Every single time. It made me so mad, because it was usually lucky me who had to sit with a 200 pound drunk who didnt want to be there. Like IM gonna stop them.

The overdoses will die without help, I wouldnt refuse them. Many are unintentional. But the drunks arent gonna die. They are stupid drunks. But no, they dont dump them in cells, the dump them in the er. liability I think after a drunk or two choked on his own vomit.

 

[TurboK9]

did I really see this on CNN?

Health care industry sick with medical waste - CNN.com


According to a 2008 report by Pricewaterhouse Cooper's Health Research Institute, wasteful spending accounts for $1.2 trillion of the $2.2 trillion spent on health care in the United States. The medical waste includes costs associated with inefficient insurance claims processing, defensive medicine, preventable hospital readmissions, medical errors, and unnecessary emergency room visits.



Ding, ding, ding. None of which can be fixed by the gov't. And certainly not by any ideas being bandied about now.

From what I have seen, those unnecessary ER visits happen a lot more often than most think. In a typical 12 hour shift down there..probably only about 4 or so hours is spent on legitimate emergency. The rest is "cold symptoms" (what are we sup to do?), "headache" (9/10 times is code for I want narcotic pain medication and a free meal while i watch tv and get a doctors note to get off of my fast food job), "I fell and my ___ hurts" (9/10 times its nothing, and most can wait to see a doc), "nausea" (drink a gingerale and go see your real doc), and the WORST waste IMO ...cops bringing drunks in to "sober up", did you know we have to keep them there until they hit a certan bac? And usually they are pissed they are there so we have to assign them someone to sit with them until they can leave? and inevitably they get ativan, or pain killers for the "headache they just developed" sometimes they have to be there for 10+ hours, all the while YOU are paying for them to have a sitter..because they almost NEVER have insurance. They get blood drawn every few hours (lab is expensive)..they monpolize doc time, keep rooms filled that could have actual patients in them, and ##### the whole time and keep myself and security busy.


And the worst for hospital readmissions? MEDICARE patients.


Finally someone sees it.

More than a few call for the free ambulance ride too. I've seen my share of "you called us for THIS?" calls.

Makes me wonder how many people have died because medical resources were being sucked up by stubbed toes, minor headaches, and nausea.

 

[bcp]

More than a few call for the free ambulance ride too. I've seen my share of "you called us for THIS?" calls.

Makes me wonder how many people have died because medical resources were being sucked up by stubbed toes, minor headaches, and nausea.

Im sure quite few are sucked up like that.
but, there are also some that might turn out to be nothing, but might be something (if that makes sense) and taking yourself to the ER vs hitching a ride with the local rescue squad can mean a difference of 4 to 12 hours before being seen.
Anne Arundel medical is a great place to see this in action, Im surprised that more people have not fallen over dead from some ailment, or old age waiting in their ER.
I made the mistake of driving myself a few years back.
I called my primary and asked about some symptoms I was having, he said go to the ER. I get there and tell them whats going on, they dont care, and tell me to have a seat, they would be "right" with me.
so I wait.
4.5 hours later Im finally see a doctor, 30 minutes later I getting loaded into an abulance to take me to Washington Hospital Center because of the mild heart attack Ive been having while waiting in ER.
That place is worthless.

Cut my hand last winter on a piece of sheet metal. I wrap the slice, and then put my hand in a zip lock to keep from dripping blood on the car interior.
get to the ER, and wait,, and wait,, 3 hours later I walk out and go to the Nightime Care across the street, 10 minutes later I walk out with 10 stitches in my hand.

Arundel Medical Center ER, a good place to go if you are ready to die.
If you want to live, call the Rescue squad and come in on the fast track.
they are so concerned with getting the bed back to the squad that the dump you in a room area quick.

A little more concern at the ER desk could go a long way to stopping the abuse.

 

[libertytyranny]

Im sure quite few are sucked up like that.
but, there are also some that might turn out to be nothing, but might be something (if that makes sense) and taking yourself to the ER vs hitching a ride with the local rescue squad can mean a difference of 4 to 12 hours before being seen.
Anne Arundel medical is a great place to see this in action, Im surprised that more people have not fallen over dead from some ailment, or old age waiting in their ER.
I made the mistake of driving myself a few years back.
I called my primary and asked about some symptoms I was having, he said go to the ER. I get there and tell them whats going on, they dont care, and tell me to have a seat, they would be "right" with me.
so I wait.
4.5 hours later Im finally see a doctor, 30 minutes later I getting loaded into an abulance to take me to Washington Hospital Center because of the mild heart attack Ive been having while waiting in ER.
That place is worthless.

Cut my hand last winter on a piece of sheet metal. I wrap the slice, and then put my hand in a zip lock to keep from dripping blood on the car interior.
get to the ER, and wait,, and wait,, 3 hours later I walk out and go to the Nightime Care across the street, 10 minutes later I walk out with 10 stitches in my hand.

Arundel Medical Center ER, a good place to go if you are ready to die.
If you want to live, call the Rescue squad and come in on the fast track.
they are so concerned with getting the bed back to the squad that the dump you in a room area quick.

A little more concern at the ER desk could go a long way to stopping the abuse.

I have seen st. Mary's send people from the ambulance into the waiting room. So it does happen. Problem is there is very little room for common sense when the threat of a lawsuit is hanging. They can't even tell you whether or not to come in when you call the emergency room. People called quite often when I worked down there..saying hey my kids fever is blah blah..or my ankle is swollen, or I am throwing up or something..should I come in? We cant even answer the question. All we can say is if you are concerned you should come to the er. Thats it. I cant help thinking that if the er had an "ask a nurse line" like many insurance companies do we could cut many silly visits from even coming in. I mean if your 1 yo has a 101 fever...you could easily be told that it is not a high fever for a young child, alternate tylenol and motrin and check it again in a few hours (nothing more than will be done at the er..after a 4 hour wait). If it gets higher then come in. That would save about 20 visits in a 12 hour shift alone! but no we are so worried about lawsuits and "procedure" we cant even use a little common sense.