Let the controversy begin.

[skybirdrising]

I believe that many people abuse the current health care system.

People have the notion just because they have health care insurance, medicare or medicaid that they can go to the doctor for every bruise, sniffle and cough. Many times these minor incidents are brought into ER which bottlenecks the unit preventing more serious illnesses/injuries to be treated in a timely manner. Furthermore, those who are not insured and have no means to pay the bill line up out the door as well. And to say we are not a socialist country would be farce. This has prevented proper treatment for those who need it the most and I am quite disgusted that our government creates new laws every year to cater to more conjestion. I would like to know if there has ever been a study on doctors' analysis of the percentile of patients that really didn't need to be seen.

I was managing a full service restaurant and a homeless man came in off the street and laid on the waiting bench in the lobby. This took away from the ambience of the restaurant as many patrons were distracted. I had asked the gentleman to either take a seat or vacate the premises. He asked if he could stay there from the rain and cold. I had told him that he could stay as long as he was a paying customer. After I had asked him four times to leave, I threatened to call law enforcement to remove him from the property. The man then stated he wanted me to call an ambulance because he was having a 'heart attack' from his own words. I phoned 911 immediately. Ambulance arrived shortly thereafter. Apparently he was a frequent patient because the medic informed me that this wasn't the first time this had happened. The medic also stated that his 'heart attack' story was bogus. The man just wanted a place to hang his head for a few.

I know this is an extreme example of what I am making reference to, but this happens on a daily basis all across the nation. This has to stop.

What do you think?

[Brownms46]

Originally posted by tonchitoRN

i was once a poor soul with no health insurance and barely enough money to keep my head above water. now i have money but i will not forget what it was like to be poor. it is not a good feeling to know what hunger is. always remember you too are one step away from being in the poor house. imagine being maimed in an accident and being unable to work. then try looking for empathy. only when you walk in the shoes of someone less fortunate then you will know what it is like. the original poster did not seem to have too much empathy for the person she turned back to the street. maybe one day you will be in need and the person you turn to puts you back into the street. then you can see what it feels like. especially during the holidays i hope you all can open your hearts and give some time and money to the charities who do their part to help those less fortunate.

Amennnn! I must say that I found the OP statements about the homeless guy, a little on the unfeeling side. In fact the situation shouted to me, that this poor person was just looking to be warm, and dry, and using the "heart attack" claim was a desperate action of a helpless human being, trying to survive!

I have seen desperate people in desperate situations do a lot of things, and I always wonder what would I do, if I were in the same situation! I see the people on the street corners, and highway exits, and I wonder what must have gone wrong, in their lives to lead them to this. My heart goes out to them, no matter what the reason they're there, because I believe, there but for the grace of God go I.

[Katnip, RN]

Never once have I said I feel contempt for those people who come in to an ER because they're no place to go. And I really don't see anyone who has, Bluesky.

The point here is, yes healthcare is inequitable. Yes, people do abuse the system terribly. Every week out ER--and others in the city are taking out injunctions against people who repeatedly abuse the system. And believe it or not, being poor does not necessarily make one a noble person. I treat every single person who comes my way with dignity and respect. That doesn't mean I have to take being spat on, cursed and my life threatened lying down. I'm no martyr.

I've been in pain, I've been sexually abused as a child--repeatedly--I've been hungry, and I've lived in cocroach infested buildings. But never, ever have I displayed rude behavior toward those trying to help. Poverty is no excuse for poor behavior. Face it, yes people are in pain and they lash out. But some people are just mean and nasty.

Yes, healthcare providers get tired of constantly being abused, too. We aren't human? We aren't allowed to get tired of the endless stream of people, who even with insurance come in cursing because they didn't want to bother making an appointment or paying their co-pay even though they can afford it?

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by fergus51

Everyone should have access to proper health care. Until that happens, there will be people going to the emergency room and "abusing" the services. The abuser is just a symptom of the disease.

there ya go. LOTS Of great posts here but THIS one puts it succinctly and sums it all up for ME. This is where so many of us differ in beliefs. IS HEALTHCARE A BASIC RIGHT? Like food/shelter/clothing/liberty? I say YES.......and we COULD fund this IF we wanted to!!!! (as a country.). But don't hold yer breath! We are too busy in Iraq, Afghanistan, and making corps rich to bother funding this basic need for our own populace. SHAME ON US!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes

IS HEALTHCARE A BASIC RIGHT? Like food/shelter/clothing/liberty? I say YES.......and we COULD fund this IF we wanted to!!!! (as a country.). But don't hold yer breath! We are too busy in Iraq, Afghanistan, and making corps rich to bother funding this basic need for our own populace. SHAME ON US!

You Go Girl!

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

You Go Girl!

Yeah.

What Tweety said.

To what Deb said.

About what Fergus said.

Ditto to all the above !

[bluesky, BSN, RN]

You're right cyberkat, my comment was excessive. Sorry. :uhoh21:

[Peeps Mcarthur]

OK,

Here's the way to put the money spent on the war against terror to a use everyone can agree on.

The solution is simple. Give the homeless, a place to sleep, three meals a day, a steady paycheck..and free healthcare while clearing the ERs of people that are looking for the same.

Draft the homeless into the Army.

Those that have a medical condition will not be enlisted, but will fill the ERs once again, but this time the ranks of the indigent population would be thined to those persons with bonafide illness.

Those healthy enough to serve get a chance to redeem thier lives instead of sucking the life out of the rest of us. They would have a paycheck, vocational training, and all of the above.

Iraq would then become the largest government program "for the needy"in the history of the world thus quieting the argument by the democrats that the war on terror is taking vital tax funds from the government programs here.

Think about it....................ever try to even make eye contact with one of those mean bagladies?................. they'll chew your freekin' head off pal!!

I say get them all in a lather by confinscating their grocery carts and air drop them over Tikrit and stand back and watch the fur fly.

OK,

Not really PC was it? The plan does however have just as much chance of being implemented as any other plan without special interest groups sucking its marrow.

OK, it's a little weird actualy.

A scene from the press room

"I'm here to announce that we have just initiated operation "Bag Lady Bomb". At this time we have reason to believe that Sadam is concealing shopping carts of michaelaneous crap...er..uh.......vital possesions of the poor. This ruthless regiem must be stopped and to this end we have a special forces group being deployed over Tikrit that will drain the cashflow and burden the resources of the enemy to the point of surrender. This weapon has been secretly tested in all the ERs of the country and has proven effective in breaking even the strongest ideals of americas healthcare system.

OK, back to the english paper.

[Peeps Mcarthur]

Oh well,

I guess this joint is just too classed up now.

[Katnip, RN]

"Operation Bad Lady" I love it. And yes, I'm taking it as a JOKE. so don't start flaming.

[Katnip, RN]

Bluesky. It's ok. We all actually get passionate about these things. :kiss

I really, really would like to see an equitable healthcare system in the US. I would really, realy like to see people be able to see that yes, then can get out of the hole they're in, and to see the government actually help them do so instead of giving them little incentive and even littler practical help. (That was a terribly ungrammatical sentence)

I really, really wish I had the answers.

[OHmom2boys]

Originally posted by NursePerson

All i can say is nursing means when someone was cold i took them in, When they were hungry i feed them, when they were in prison i come to visit, when they were lonely i comforted them, and i did these things without judgment. And i am not the one who should turn anyone away from any service available to them. I also try to remember to treat everyone as i want my family or myself to be treated. I guess i just love nursing to much to burden myself with the small battles it is the big things in society that bother me the most. Thanks

I haven't posted in a long time, just wanted to say i love your post NursePerson!!!

And also wanted to say.....you never know when YOU could end up being "That person" that everyone is talking about needing a place to hang his head. Some of us are just a paycheck away from being "that person".

Please give thanks for what you have now....you never know when your day will come. You never know when you will have to humble yourself to feed yourself or your children. You never know when you'll be the one needing medicaid. It could be just one big ACCIDENT or HOSPITAL bill away.....are you prepared for a huge accident in your family with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills??

YES, there are abuses....but there are abuses in all walks of society. Look at the insider trading....politics...etc. People with millions of dollars, if not more, greedy to make more and more and committing much worse crimes against society at large than the man looking for a dry bed and a hot meal. It's sad really, that we would judge these poor people looking for a meal on this alone without knowing HOW they got there in the first place.

Hope I didn't just piss off too many people, but I hate the "blame game"...most times there is no one to blame but ourselves. Why are we pouring tons of money into foriegn countries who HATE us when we can't feed our own????? BIG, HUGE question of the day.

We have children starving every day and we are going in debt as a country to give to others who would just as soon blow our face off than to thank us........

Just my own opinion. I also believe in Nurseperson's quote......I too went into nursing to HELP others, not judge them. Yes, I realize it's hard after years of nursing NOT to have certain ideas about certain people, but maybe we should all take a step back and look at them as a human beings and not just an "idea" of what they may be.

HMMMMM....thinking I should have read the rest of the posts before posting my own!

[Brownms46]

Glad you posted, and you spoke exactly to how I feel also! There are a lot of folks out on the street, who never thought they would be! Well said!