Help me please explain to my father, who is visiting in four hours, why the "emergency room" is not a valid health care option.
Yes, I'm serious. More below the fold...
I hope this isn't way too skimpy as a diary, but the following incident brought me up short, and I wasn't able to respond to it, which is unusual for my blabbering mouth.
Dad and I started arguing over this whole public option/health care reform thing the other week. His take? "Even if people don't have insurance, they can just go to the emergency room and they are entitled to totally free care."
Now, some people on this site know me, and know I've been in social work. This sort of shocked me, because one problem that came up again and again when I was working with adult Deaf clients was how expensive the emergency room was and especially the ambulance... I spent many hours getting charges eliminated. (Note to elitists: we're not talking a huge amount - $50, say, or $150. But "expensive" is relevant to the individual, and an older person on a limited income, or a disabled person on a very limited income, can't afford that ambulance ride.)
So I did my research and I found out about EMTALA requiring hospitals to provide free emergency room care to all comers despite ability to pay or race or gender or what have you. Well and good. But it seems this law is more of a burden on hospitals than a help to the situation.
I'm not an expert. I do know that when my father comes to me repeating something that makes the hairs on my back stand up, it usually winds up being a FOX News talking point. So here's what I'm hoping y'all can help me with:
- What's the status of free emergency room care?
- What are the heavy cons?
- Is this really a big talking point - send 'em to the ER for free care?
It seems ridiculous to me - especially since it's supposed to be for, you know, emergencies, not a substitute for regular care. And I'm not sure medication or any follow-up treatment is covered.
Whatcha think, Kossacks?
UPDATE: Too many great comments to count. I think people might want to print out this diary and just shove it in the face of the next FOX-bleater parroting this talking point. I know I will.
This talking point is repeated all too often by the Right - American Spectator,, and Business Insider cited emergency room one-stop shop health care as a significant danger if Obama's public option takes place. So thanks for giving me some significant rebuttals!