:angryfire I couldn't believe this one, but my true story here from last night brings a point home of why there are some problems with "the system"
This happened to me last night, no joke:
Background: I bicycle to work and back quite often for exercise, save on gasoline, etc. My employer carries decent insurance on me with $20/copay for office/urgent care ("doc in the box") visits.
Yesterday, I was peddling my bicycle home and was hit by a car. Thought not my fault, and the young (maybe 19 or so) driver just didn't see me, drove into me from a driveway in front of a fast food place, and I got splattered out in the middle of the road. The girls were VERY nice young ladies, and ironically, are going to be attending their year in the nursing program at the local college. They(driver and her passenger who saw me, and thought her friend/driver saw me) were crying, and all in all, it was just a sincere accident. I'm bruised up, but ice, antiinflammatories, rest, and I'll be okay. Bike was unridable and too broken after that, and the hood/bumper of the car broke my helmet. Maybe a mild concussion going on, but no LOC or concerning sx's in that regard.
Well, my point on this topic- I called my father (I carry a cell phone always except on the job) who was at his work, had him come pick me and the broken bike up and take me to my house. I decided it would be a good idea to go over to local urgent care/after hours clinic in town. I figured I have medical insurance, and the side of my body impacted is swollen/hurting, so getting checked out wouldn't be a bad idea considering what happened. I drove myself to the clinic. The lady at the urgent clinic says that because an automobile had been involved she couldn't accept my insurance and that they would need cash up front if I wanted to be seen. WTF, no way am I going to pay some exorbant amount to be told to take aleve, use ice, and do what I know to. I have concern of an orthopedic injury to the knee, but that's going to wait for my PCP Monday. The lady said I should go to the ER. I told that it seems like a rather huge waste of resources since I wasn't having a heart attack or something. I said "well if I bleed to death in my sleep, maybe you'll change your policies" I left, went home and just laid in a cool bath with ice packs on my hurt areas.
Scary incident, though I'm very thankful it was me and not some little kid that might have got killed or something.
Fortunately, though hurting, I'm okay considering, but rather disgusted at how they were encouraging me to waste resources at the local emergency room.
Coming from my background, originally starting in EMS, it was probably not the best decision I ever made doing a 'self assessment'.
This all happened 2 weeks ago. Good news on a personal level, I'm 100% back to normal, fixed my bike, and in fact, bicycled about 23 miles today with no adverse problems (though I'm feeling overly hesitant when it comes to crossing by driveways, etc) Bad news, never did get hold of the driver, I have no lic plate #, no insurance info, nadda. I know I made a mistake on that one but didn't even think of it at the time. I explained to my PCP about the auto and insurance issue and having it wrote up as "bicycle accident" and not MVA. So far, so good.
Looking back, had this bike vs. auto happened to someone else, I would say without a doubt a spineboard, collar the transport to the ED would have been in order, then a head CT at a minimum given the MOI and cracked helmet. It sure is easier to rationalize this all after the fact. Anyways, thanks all for the well wishes. Fortunately this little life incident was only a small bump in the road.
Oramar, I must respectfully disagree with you. An injured person is the best person to determine how he feels and has a good idea of the extent of his injuries. /QUOTE]
I'm going to have to disagree with this one. WIth 16+ ER and EMS behind me an urgent care is the last place an acute trauma pt needs to be worked up, which someone who has just been hit by a 2000+ pound vehicle is. Based on the mechanism of injury the potential for a serious injury is there. Now if it had been 24 hrs or more post injury id say yes an urgent care may be totally appropriate. Having said that it's also not the place for a clerk or secretary taking insurance information at a urgent care clinic to be deciding if the setting is appropriate either. The most appropriate thing to have done and the clinics i've been around do this is they start a work up/care and if they feel the patient is more than they can care for they call EMS and they transfer the patient to the nearest appropriate ED.
I was hit by a car more than one time. (Very bad luck, very bad city, very bad corner). I think the insurance question has to do with the driver being responsible for all medical bills you incur because of the accident. Usually, your insurance company will cover the expenses and then ask you for verification later about other coverage/lawsuits. I was told by the police at the hospital that when a car strikes a pedestrian (I would assume it covers bicyclist) the driver is required to file a police report immediately. If not, even if the driver takes you to a hospital, they are technically hit and run and will be pursued as such. I think that all has to do with insurance coverage too.
Why the doc in the box refused to treat you without money up front is odd. Did they even call your insurance company?
I hope you are feeling better and glad it was not more serious.
:angryfire I couldn't believe this one, but my true story here from last night brings a point home of why there are some problems with "the system"
This happened to me last night, no joke:
Background: I bicycle to work and back quite often for exercise, save on gasoline, etc. My employer carries decent insurance on me with $20/copay for office/urgent care ("doc in the box") visits.
Yesterday, I was peddling my bicycle home and was hit by a car. Thought not my fault, and the young (maybe 19 or so) driver just didn't see me, drove into me from a driveway in front of a fast food place, and I got splattered out in the middle of the road. The girls were VERY nice young ladies, and ironically, are going to be attending their year in the nursing program at the local college. They(driver and her passenger who saw me, and thought her friend/driver saw me) were crying, and all in all, it was just a sincere accident. I'm bruised up, but ice, antiinflammatories, rest, and I'll be okay. Bike was unridable and too broken after that, and the hood/bumper of the car broke my helmet. Maybe a mild concussion going on, but no LOC or concerning sx's in that regard.
Well, my point on this topic- I called my father (I carry a cell phone always except on the job) who was at his work, had him come pick me and the broken bike up and take me to my house. I decided it would be a good idea to go over to local urgent care/after hours clinic in town. I figured I have medical insurance, and the side of my body impacted is swollen/hurting, so getting checked out wouldn't be a bad idea considering what happened. I drove myself to the clinic. The lady at the urgent clinic says that because an automobile had been involved she couldn't accept my insurance and that they would need cash up front if I wanted to be seen. WTF, no way am I going to pay some exorbant amount to be told to take aleve, use ice, and do what I know to. I have concern of an orthopedic injury to the knee, but that's going to wait for my PCP Monday. The lady said I should go to the ER. I told that it seems like a rather huge waste of resources since I wasn't having a heart attack or something. I said "well if I bleed to death in my sleep, maybe you'll change your policies" I left, went home and just laid in a cool bath with ice packs on my hurt areas.
Scary incident, though I'm very thankful it was me and not some little kid that might have got killed or something.
Fortunately, though hurting, I'm okay considering, but rather disgusted at how they were encouraging me to waste resources at the local emergency room.
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
Fortunately, though hurting, I'm okay considering, but rather disgusted at how they were encouraging me to waste resources at the local emergency room.
Snowy, I'm glad to hear you're doing better...I've got my own story to report about ER abuse.
My sister in law is up visiting for an extended time from Florida, and her kids are on MA. Her son came down with what looks like conjuctivitis...nothing serious at all, just a goopy eye that didn't respond to warm soaks. She tried to make an appt with a local doctor, but they couldn't fit her in. They wouldn't call in a script for her (not that I blame them) and her regular doctor from FL wouldn't call in one for her either since she was out of state. The PCP up her told her to "just go to the ER and have him treated." For conjunctivitis??? I convinced her not to go to the ER and just try to find a clinic or call another Dr office and try to get in. I just couldn't believe a doctors office was telling a person to go to the ER for something like that!
As far as ER abuse, doctors send patients in for conjuctivitis, dental problems (we have no dentist on staff), consitpation, etc. And half the time people call EMS to bring them in.
If a doc can't take 5 minutes to look at an eye and write a scrip, then something is seriously wrong here. Is the doc going to pay the ER bill?
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
Snowy, glad to hear you're doing well.
As far as ER abuse, doctors send patients in for conjuctivitis, dental problems (we have no dentist on staff), consitpation, etc. And half the time people call EMS to bring them in.
If a doc can't take 5 minutes to look at an eye and write a scrip, then something is seriously wrong here. Is the doc going to pay the ER bill?
That's what I don't understand, cybercat....for some reason she's having a hard time getting a doctors appt, they say because she's an out of state resident, I think it may be because she doesn't have insurance (although she'd be paying the bill up front....who wouldn't want the cash?) I told her to have her dad call in and say he has conjuctivitis and ask to have a script called in.....at least she'd get the med that way not have a huge ER bill (as well as not wasting the ER staff's time).
our local peds office does the same thing around the holidays. the office closes for 2 weeks and the pts in the er tell us that the recording says that for any needs to go to the er. talk about making the holidays even worse. one lady had to wait 4 hours to refill her daughter's liquid med that she had accidentally spilled. it's a sad story.
i was in an accident and the police iasked me if i was injured and i said no next morning i hurt all over but ii thought it was just sore muscles from being hit and most of it was but my shoulder continued to hurt and later was dx with a rotor cuff tear...it hurt a lot for a long long time [read over a year] so don't be too quiick to put up a brave front....take care of yourself...hemiuria is serious get some help....NOW
In NJ, if you are a pedestrian or on a bike, etc, if you are hit by a car.
The first 10 days after the injury, you can go anywhere and get any treatment w/o pre-auth from the auto insurance, it will be paid, but the deductible must be met, anywhere from $500 to $2500 depending on how good of a plan you have.
After the 10 days, then nothing will be paid unless you have pre-auth, not even a follow-up to an ortho, nothing.
The treatment is based on algorithms for common injuries, and anything outside of that requires excessive documentation.
Glad you are well now snowy, that must have been scary.
I took my son to our pediatricians office for a sore throat. I just wanted a rapid strep done, and abx if needed. I took him right after school about 3:30. Our peds guy is great he knows I'm a nurse and collaborates with me on treatments. Which is unheard of. So we're waiting our turn in the waiting room and the phone is ringing like crazy in any MD's office and I listen to the secretary tell virtually every caller. "Go to the ER"!!! You'd have thought that in all those calls there would have been that she would have said. " Look, the Doctor has hours till six, come on in we'll squeeze you in somewhere." Which is what my primary doc does for me. Amazing.
I took my son to our pediatricians office for a sore throat. I just wanted a rapid strep done, and abx if needed. I took him right after school about 3:30. Our peds guy is great he knows I'm a nurse and collaborates with me on treatments. Which is unheard of. So we're waiting our turn in the waiting room and the phone is ringing like crazy in any MD's office and I listen to the secretary tell virtually every caller. "Go to the ER"!!! You'd have thought that in all those calls there would have been that she would have said. " Look, the Doctor has hours till six, come on in we'll squeeze you in somewhere." Which is what my primary doc does for me. Amazing.
this happens to me a lot l at one time the hospital told mds that they or a md from their office had to see someone sent to er....i was sent to er for a vit k shot while on coumadin...it seems like this is something which could have been handled in their office...i think that the hospital backed down from this requirement...some mds are in an office by themselfves and i guess that seeing a er pt would hurt all the others waiting in the office..but they still will send you to er if you do not have an appt...and my md is in a clinic with a pile of other mds
this happens to me a lot l at one time the hospital told mds that they or a md from their office had to see someone sent to er....i was sent to er for a vit k shot while on coumadin...it seems like this is something which could have been handled in their office...i think that the hospital backed down from this requirement...some mds are in an office by themselfves and i guess that seeing a er pt would hurt all the others waiting in the office..but they still will send you to er if you do not have an appt...and my md is in a clinic with a pile of other mds
I once worked with an ER doc who would call the Doctor who sent the patient in and tell him to come to ED to write the patient's orders. That put a kink in a lot of the stupid ER visits. God how I used to laugh when he did that.
Snowy
30 Posts
^^^^^^
Coming from my background, originally starting in EMS, it was probably not the best decision I ever made doing a 'self assessment'.
This all happened 2 weeks ago. Good news on a personal level, I'm 100% back to normal, fixed my bike, and in fact, bicycled about 23 miles today with no adverse problems (though I'm feeling overly hesitant when it comes to crossing by driveways, etc) Bad news, never did get hold of the driver, I have no lic plate #, no insurance info, nadda. I know I made a mistake on that one but didn't even think of it at the time. I explained to my PCP about the auto and insurance issue and having it wrote up as "bicycle accident" and not MVA. So far, so good.
Looking back, had this bike vs. auto happened to someone else, I would say without a doubt a spineboard, collar the transport to the ED would have been in order, then a head CT at a minimum given the MOI and cracked helmet. It sure is easier to rationalize this all after the fact. Anyways, thanks all for the well wishes. Fortunately this little life incident was only a small bump in the road.