Having been to an emergency room twice in the past year it truly is a screwed up mess. First time actually happened June 16th of last year. Had a 4-wheeler accident, slit my wrist open and was missing a good portion of my chin. Happened to get to the ER at lunch time. I was the only one waiting for treatment. Took me right back to a room where I waited for over an hour, then instead of a doctor I get a desk clerk coming to get my insurance information (like that was the important thing at that moment >:( ) had to dig into my wallet with my one good hand and fish out the cards. Then she leaves and I sat there for another hour or so before the doc finally came in and ordered x-rays. Back to the room for another 2 hours before getting sewed up which only took 20 minutes. This whole entire time no other ER patients came in, I just sat there in pain watching tumbleweeds roll by :-/ I asked what took so long, the x-ray techs were out to lunch, the doc was out to, all were late getting back. Now what would have happened in a true emergency where every minute counts, would they have had to wait for the doc to get done stuffing his pie hole >:( In that ER room for about 6 hours for a 20 minute sewing job. Then I get the bill...they charged me for the room, all 6 hours i was there, and it wasn't cheap >:( But insurance took that bill :P
But then one day back in March I started having chest pains...about 24 hours after they started they suddenly got extremely sharp and nearly had me on the floor. Rushed to the ER and taken right back to a room and hooked up to monitors, they were quick and ran a lot of tests. In the end it was swelling around my heart. After a heavy dose of painkillers and prescribed anti-inflammatory meds I was on my way after only 2 hours. Then few weeks later a bill shows up saying my insurance wouldn't pay a dime and I had 30 days to come up with $3000. Needless to say that didn't happen, not like that kind of money is just laying around. They wanted me to make payments of $400 a month, after taxes thats almost 2 weeks of my paychecks...so that ain't happing either, my other bills have to come first, they wouldn't except what little I could give...so to hell with them. Now I go to court next month >:(
Basic point, health care is a joke unless your rich or have great insurance. If you don't have insurance you'll be left with a ridiculous bill that no working middle class citizen can afford. Had insurance through the states Medicare, but they switched something around and dropped just about everyone who needed it. You cant get a break on anything anymore. Then you find out some illegals are getting millions in free care. Awhile back my 5 year old niece broke her arm and was actually turned away from an ER because her insurance didn't cover their hospital...which legally they cant do...the ER that day was deserted >:(
To deny treatment to a women on the ER floor vomiting blood, then police try to arrest her for parole violation before she dies...should be considered murder
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:25 pm
