What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

And did you have to treat them?

I am just curious. Your stories always seem to either crack me up or shake my head in amazement.

Thanks for sharing ?

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
Keep in mind this is a MTF (military treatment facility) so we have our own ambulance personnel etc. Ambulance personnel are ED techs.

A call comes in, it's a lady calling complaining of pain in her foot. When the ambulance arrives they discover she also has her 2 kids, so they come with the 2 kids. We're slammed so off to the waiting room she goes. She throws a huge hissy fit, blah blah blah. Bring her back. She's had the pain for 2 days. 10/10 pain. She can walk, no limp, no fall, no twist, nothing dropped on it etc. Tells dr it's worse than labor pains. Order an X-ray...her kids are running a muck in their half of the room (split to hold 2 pts) I felt sorry for the person next to her! X-ray is perfectly normal. Dr says nothing looks to be wrong. She goes on about how it hurts so bad yada yada. He says "well I'll give you Motrin 800. Go home & ice it." Then she goes "but I have my kids. I need something to ease the pain so I can function to help them." Trying to be fair & give her the benefit of the doubt he says he'll put in for Tylenol #3. She goes "That doesn't help me. I need a shot of fentanyl 50mcgs now and Percocet to take at home. That's what works for me." He said he could not do that as she had her kids a & b it wasn't warranted in the least bit. I suppose it was a last ditch effort or something but she finally says "Can you at least give me perks (her word usage!) to take at home? I snort them rather than take them by mouth this way it doesn't affect me & make me high."

Uhhhhh! So she got nothing! Her husband (her sponsor) got a call & family services was given a call. This is still a WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF!

That's CRAZY!!!!!!!

Anne, RNC

They write scripts so Medicaid will pay for the Motrin. No copay.

frequent flyers go to ER (free) for treatment, food, phone, ride home.. And then rx for OTC for free so they don't have to use cigg money for meds

I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

Specializes in ER.
I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

A lot of people with MediCAL not MediCARE/CAID do not have a copayment. I think they simply got them mixed up. Most on MediCal have zero copay.

I think it would depend on the state....

I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

Well, here in Colorado there is a co pay for services and prescriptions in you have Medicaid.

I don't judge people who are on it like some people do. There's a saying I like to pass on to those who do-there but for the Grace of God go I.

It was simply in response to why doctors/PA/NP prescribe so much over the counter medications.

There are government funded/sponsored 'health plans' that have no copay's. Some do, some cost $1.. Others differ.

My insurance does not cover medications that are available over the counter.

Someone I knew dragged her three daughters to the ER on a city bus because one of them had what she called a "rash". This daughter wasn't having issues breathing or anything, she just had a flat slightly pink area on her arm. I told her she could just go to Walgreens and put some hydrocortisone cream on it. If it didn't improve, then take her to the ER. She said "I was a medic in the Navy, so I know more than you!" I simply shrugged as if to say "Suit yourself".

I haven't had any medical training per se, but my mom's been a nurse for 40 years or so, and I know some things about when to go to the ER or not. She came back with hydrocortisone cream, a large bill for the ER visit, and the suggestion that she take her to the urgent care next time for something like this. She was pretty angry at them and was mad at me,"Why didn't you tell me?" But, I did, she just didn't listen because she thought she knew better.

Specializes in ED, trauma.

I don't know where you got the idea there is no co-pay with Medicaid because there is.

There is a copay but most places don't bother to collect it because it causes more problems.

One example, ED visits are a $3 copay after MSE but only one hospital collects it. The other hospital does full work up and doesn't ask for copay. Guess who gets all the MDCD patients? Yes, I have seen it first hand. Patients say that's why they chose one hospital.

Specializes in ER.
There is a copay but most places don't bother to collect it because it causes more problems. One example ED visits are a $3 copay after MSE but only one hospital collects it. The other hospital does full work up and doesn't ask for copay. Guess who gets all the MDCD patients? Yes, I have seen it first hand. Patients say that's why they chose one hospital.[/quote']

I suppose as someone stated that it depends on the state. It's very rare for our Medical patients to have a copay. Granted I work in a hospital in which all the patients have Tricare, and our hospital doesn't collect money for the most part.

A guy who had stomach pain, upon xray we saw 12 oddly shaped things in abd. He then told us he liked to swallow barbie heads cause the hair felt good on the way out and he had obstructed. I swear some people have just lost their minds!

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
I think it would depend on the state....

morte is correct - though Medicaid is a federal HHS/CMS program, it is administered by the individual 50 states.

ER use (demonstrated in multiple studies to be much higher per capita among Medicaid recipients than among the uninsured, those with private insurance, or Medicare recipients) is a perfect example of the "law" of unintended consequences. Many states have legislated that Medicaid recipients cannot be charged even a nominal copay for an ER visit (on the argument that it is "discriminatory") but charge a $2 - $5 copay for office visits. So ... if you have Medicaid ... will you go see your PCP ... or go to the ER? Hmm.

In our ER we write many, many scripts for Tylenol & Ibuprofen, so that the patient has no out of pocket cost.

Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

I personally hate it when pts walk from the ambulance with positive luggage sign....sigh I just know they're really sick...

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