Instead of spending billions (or is it a trillion yet?) on insurance for the un- and underinsured, and mandating everyone have insurance coverage, why don't we spend federal money on more free clinics?

The feds could give more money to each state, and that state would build the clinic, employ staff, keep up mandated quality checks, and then instead of treating hangnails and giving Dilauded for silly reasons (the chronic not ill person that comes in twice a week for abdominal pain with no medical cause), we could just say "This emergency room is for emergencies only, but we have a 24-hour clinic right across the street that can help you. In fact, we'll make an appointment for you for tomorrow to see your new PCP, who can fill your prescriptions and do an annual health checkup." Then we can rewrite EMTALA where if the complaint is not an ESI 3 or above, the patient is automatically referred to the clinic.

I've often thought of similar solutions...we need something to get rid of these chronic abusers of the system...maybe just expand Euthanasia laws then the free clinics wouldn't have to deal with them either...lol.

well....... i don't know about your er but the frequent-flyers that are low acuity keep me at work for my full twelve hours even though i get a mixture of acuity levels. so for very very selfish reasons, your plan does not work for me at this time! it is a good plan for the health care system and emergency rooms in general. maybe after i join the military we can implement such a plan because then it won't matter when i am sent home? i get paid either way.

We have several free clinics here in my area. They do great work but always there is the problem that really sick people show up and have to be sent to specialist and hospitals. What do they do if someone has no insurance? They are very good at helping people access what is out there as far as programs for uninsured. Also, they have list of specialist who will see the poor at no cost. However, all these program are just about tapped out all the time. The specialist that do free care have a cut off point for how much they will take. They have to see paying customers to keep their office going.

Instead of spending billions (or is it a trillion yet?) on insurance for the un- and underinsured, and mandating everyone have insurance coverage, why don't we spend federal money on more free clinics?

The feds could give more money to each state, and that state would build the clinic, employ staff, keep up mandated quality checks, and then instead of treating hangnails and giving Dilauded for silly reasons (the chronic not ill person that comes in twice a week for abdominal pain with no medical cause), we could just say "This emergency room is for emergencies only, but we have a 24-hour clinic right across the street that can help you. In fact, we'll make an appointment for you for tomorrow to see your new PCP, who can fill your prescriptions and do an annual health checkup." Then we can rewrite EMTALA where if the complaint is not an ESI 3 or above, the patient is automatically referred to the clinic.

Yes, but that would make sense.... and our gov't ain't gonna do something that makes sense.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10006/1025996-114.stm

Hey, Oramar, thanks for the article! It sounds like you're at least making a dent, I wonder if health care dollars will be less than average in Pittsburgh in 5 years. I really believe in the annual health checkup to ward off future chronic vasculopaths with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease that get a free $100,000 CABG because they showed up in the ER with chest pain and were too blocked to get a stent. I think it will take some time for the benefits to show up.