SnyderShrugged Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 http://www.acep.org/Content.aspx?id=78646 More than 80 percent of emergency physicians responding to a poll said emergency visits are increasing in their emergency departments, with half reporting significant rises, and more than 90 percent expecting increases in the next year. Almost all (97 percent) reported treating patients on a daily basis who were referred to them by primary care doctors, going against a widely-held assumption that people are choosing to go to the emergency department instead of seeking primary care. At the same time, 97 percent of emergency physicians also report treating Medicaid patients on a daily basis who could not find any other doctor to accept their health insurance. If the new health care reform legislation provides insurance coverage that reimburses doctors at Medicaid rates, this could exacerbate a lack of access to medical care. “This poll confirms what we are witnessing in Massachusetts — that visits to emergency rooms are going to increase across the country, despite health care reform, and that health insurance coverage does not guarantee access to medical care,” said Dr. Sandra Schneider, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “Emergency medicine provides lifesaving and critical care to millions of patients each year and yet only represents 2 percent of the nation’s health care expenditures. Emergency physicians command the resources of a hospital to provide the best care for patients, but we must be prepared for increasing numbers of patients, not fewer, especially given our growing elderly population.” more at link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Obviously, the government needs to increase the Medicaid payment schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 Obviously, the government needs to increase the Medicaid payment schedule. Sure, just so long as they use the money allocated towards healthcare reform to pay for it. I could live with people who actually need the care getting what they need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Sure, just so long as they use the money allocated towards healthcare reform to pay for it. I could live with people who actually need the care getting what they need. Sure, just as long as they ban insurance companies. That doesn't have anything to do with what was posted, either. What you posted was that Medicaid payments, right now, are so low that many people on Medicaid have to go to the ER to receive care, because they can't get in to see anybody else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shk75 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Sure, just as long as they ban insurance companies. That doesn't have anything to do with what was posted, either. What you posted was that Medicaid payments, right now, are so low that many people on Medicaid have to go to the ER to receive care, because they can't get in to see anybody else. Yup this article is about a problem that most in the health care field are well aware of. This was seen first and foremost in Massachusetts where their health reform efforts were supposed to reduce ER visits by increasing access to primary care but actually created the opposite effect. Physicians simply would not accept all these new patients and the only option they had was to go to the ER. Now states faced by budget crises must balance their budgets and therefore try to reduce payments for Medicaid only to see this problem explode. Until physicians are encouraged to enroll new patients, increasing access to insurance will do nothing to reduce ER visits and will actually increase them for those not even on Medicaid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Do you encourage taking on new patients by cutting compensation and increasing paperwork? cluster**** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shk75 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Do you encourage taking on new patients by cutting compensation and increasing paperwork?cluster**** Well no obviously not. Ideally a universal electronic medical system would be put in place for all 50 states so that administrative time would be slashed which would theoretically cut down on health care costs by reducing the administrative burden as well as unnecessary medical care due to mistakes. However, if you do not increase payment rates it is hard to motivate physicians to work longer hours especially when there has been a new movement called the 40 hour work week for physicians. This is becoming increasingly popular in which physicians have become OK with making a little bit less so they can have a more enjoyable and definite work schedule. Therefore, when it comes to primary care a new trend has been to give more power to nurses and PAs to do routine primary care activities. Unfortunately this has been met by great resistance from the public because Americans want to see doctors, not nurses or PAs. Until we can convince the average citizen that the level of care is equal we will continue to see a lack of access to quality primary care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Therefore, when it comes to primary care a new trend has been to give more power to nurses and PAs to do routine primary care activities. Unfortunately this has been met by great resistance from the public because Americans want to see doctors, not nurses or PAs. Until we can convince the average citizen that the level of care is equal we will continue to see a lack of access to quality primary care. that is a trend I fully support,and one of the major roadblocks in US medicine solve that and the prescription circus and ya make a good start...along with 24/7 access Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Yup this article is about a problem that most in the health care field are well aware of. This was seen first and foremost in Massachusetts where their health reform efforts were supposed to reduce ER visits by increasing access to primary care but actually created the opposite effect. Physicians simply would not accept all these new patients and the only option they had was to go to the ER. Now states faced by budget crises must balance their budgets and therefore try to reduce payments for Medicaid only to see this problem explode. Until physicians are encouraged to enroll new patients, increasing access to insurance will do nothing to reduce ER visits and will actually increase them for those not even on Medicaid. Unfortunately, the "pre existing condition" of "Medicaid doesn't pay enough, therefore people on Medicaid can't get in to see a doctor" is being used to try to argue "therefore, instead of those people going to the ER clutching Medicaid cards, we should send them to the ER with no insurance at all". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Free clinics full of nurses.. they do most of the work. Go to the Hospital if you need admittance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Actually, I've thought for some time that the biggest problem with our ERs is that a great deal of their patients are "I don't really need an ER, but I can't get in anywhere else in less than a month." Just pretending that I had a magic wand, but my assumption is that if Urgent Care centers had the same "must treat anybody who shows up, regardless of ability to pay" rules that ERs have, then a whole lot of people currently sitting in the ER waiting room would be at the urgent care center, instead. They'd be getting treated a whole lot faster, and for a lot less money. There's something wrong when the only place poor people can go, is the most expensive place in the county. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 There's something wrong when the only place poor people can go, is the most expensive place in the county. I feel the same way about being a Redskins fan and wanting to watch them play home games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
December90 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 The OP sounds to me like the law of unintended consequences (Although I would argue that these consequences are expected even if "unintended") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyholetsgogrant Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 How about a second hospital in Howard County, having just one hospital serving 300,000 people is ridiculous. Expect to stay 8-10 hours every-time you go to the hospital in Howard County. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I don't know if I've ever taken Mom to the ER where it was less than 8-10 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyholetsgogrant Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I don't know if I've ever taken Mom to the ER where it was less than 8-10 hours. Your probably right, I should have expanded on that. Howard county General turns away a large number of patients, because of the shortage of beds. I cant find the dumb article because the local newspapers website's search function sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Your probably right, I should have expanded on that. Howard county General turns away a large number of patients, because of the shortage of beds. I cant find the dumb article because the local newspapers website's search function sucks. Stupid web sites where the search function doesn't work. :halo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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