ER usage (Surgeon's strike)

[Guest guest]

Randy, I certainly agree with you on the overuse of the ER. However, there is

another side to that picture. I know, because I am on Medicare/Medicaid only.

I am on Social Security disability and cannot afford any other insurance. I am

actually very fortunate, the coverage is pretty good with both Medicare and

Medicaid combined. But even so, I still have to go to the emergency room

sometimes, when if I had only had the decency to get sick between 9 and 5,

Monday through Friday, I could have seen a doctor in his office. I have

actually called my doctor or surgeon after hours about a problem, and he has

told me to go to the ER, especially if it is Friday night.

Like I said, I am lucky. However, there are a lot of people who have fallen

through the cracks and have no insurance coverage whatsoever. This can happen,

I have known several people in that situation. They have no choice but to use

the ER as their PCP. I think the repeaters often have a mental or social

problem, but that is hard to address in our system. For instance, in my city,

there is not one psychiatrist who will take Medicaid, unless you go to a special

clinic. You have to be really, really sick to get in there. People who are

just a nuisance are not considered for treatment.

Maybe the ER could assist in finding appropriate care for some of these people.

There are many people who are not capable of making phonecalls and filling out

paperwork. There are caseworkers that will help with that, but you have to know

who to call and be able to fill out paperwork just to get a caseworker.

Randy, I really do understand what you are saying, and I agree with most of it,

but our health system is not designed to give equal treatment for everyone, and

until that happens, we will continue to have problems like these.

Barbara

9 years out

From 300-130

[Guest guest]

Barbara, I whole heartedly agree. I am on Social Security Disability as

well. Unfortunately, I make to much to qualify for Medicaid and I don't

qualify for Medicare until September of this year. I could only afford

to pay for insurance through last May (and I really couldn't afford it

then but couldn't afford to let go of it before then.) Consequently I

have no insurance, am not eligible for food stamps, on a waiting list for

Section 8 housing, etc. Half of what I make goes to rent (I got a raise

to $965 a month.) I am fortunate that I am part Cherokee and there is a

clinic relatively close. My physician does want to see me about every

other month but he only charges me about $35 a visit as opposed to $150.

I also know he would let me pay it out. He wants me to go see a gyn but

the cheapest one around here is about $100 and I just plain don't have

it. Fortunately it is nothing serious, I think he wants to rule out my

irregular periods to menopause. So what are we suppose to do but go to

an ER. Now, I also would not go to the ER unless it was truly an

emergency. And I really don't know what I would do with out the Cherokee

Intertribal Clinic. My meds are running close to $400 a month.

Lori Owen - Denton, Texas

CHF 4/14/01 479 lbs.

SRVG 7/16/01 401 lbs.

Current Weight 339.5 lbs. and loosing again

Dr. Ritter/Dr. Bryce

On Thu, 9 Jan 2003 10:36:22 -0800 " Barbara " bjeangrove@...>

writes:

> Randy, I certainly agree with you on the overuse of the ER. However,

> there is another side to that picture. I know, because I am on

> Medicare/Medicaid only. I am on Social Security disability and

> cannot afford any other insurance. I am actually very fortunate,

> the coverage is pretty good with both Medicare and Medicaid

> combined. But even so, I still have to go to the emergency room

> sometimes, when if I had only had the decency to get sick between 9

> and 5, Monday through Friday, I could have seen a doctor in his

> office. I have actually called my doctor or surgeon after hours

> about a problem, and he has told me to go to the ER, especially if

> it is Friday night.

>

> Barbara

> 9 years out

> From 300-130

>

[Guest guest]

This is such a tough call......the problem I think, is NOT KNOWING if it is

an emergency! Several years my 3 year old daughter got up at 1:00 A.M

complaining of a " headache " .I thought it was strange (she never had one

before " .....I gave her Tylenol,......it got worse and worse.....she became

hysterical....just holding her head screaming........finally she just

started staring straight ahead and wouldn't respond to me.........I'm now

panicking thinking aneurysm or something....called the Doc, he said to take

her to the ER stat.......turned out it was just strep throat....I felt like

an ASS.....they were sooo nice at the hospital....but I felt like an idiot

for going to the ER for strep throat.......BUT, the problem was we didn't

KNOW that is what it was. I had always thought that there should be some

kind of " middle " man with the doctor/hospital scene.....I mean, isn't it

ridiculous to think that people are only going to get sick M-F 9-5.

Guarenteed my kids are going to get their strep or ear infections at 4:00 on

Friday.....especially if it is a Holiday. P.

ER usage (Surgeon's strike)

> Randy, I certainly agree with you on the overuse of the ER. However,

there is another side to that picture. I know, because I am on

Medicare/Medicaid only. I am on Social Security disability and cannot

afford any other insurance. I am actually very fortunate, the coverage is

pretty good with both Medicare and Medicaid combined. But even so, I still

have to go to the emergency room sometimes, when if I had only had the

decency to get sick between 9 and 5, Monday through Friday, I could have

seen a doctor in his office. I have actually called my doctor or surgeon

after hours about a problem, and he has told me to go to the ER, especially

if it is Friday night.

>

> Like I said, I am lucky. However, there are a lot of people who have

fallen through the cracks and have no insurance coverage whatsoever. This

can happen, I have known several people in that situation. They have no

choice but to use the ER as their PCP. I think the repeaters often have a

mental or social problem, but that is hard to address in our system. For

instance, in my city, there is not one psychiatrist who will take Medicaid,

unless you go to a special clinic. You have to be really, really sick to

get in there. People who are just a nuisance are not considered for

treatment.

>

> Maybe the ER could assist in finding appropriate care for some of these

people. There are many people who are not capable of making phonecalls and

filling out paperwork. There are caseworkers that will help with that, but

you have to know who to call and be able to fill out paperwork just to get a

caseworker.

>

> Randy, I really do understand what you are saying, and I agree with most

of it, but our health system is not designed to give equal treatment for

everyone, and until that happens, we will continue to have problems like

these.

>

>

> Barbara

> 9 years out

> From 300-130

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

my 3 year old daughter got up at 1:00 A.M

complaining of a " headache " .I thought it was strange (she never had one

before " .....I gave her Tylenol,......it got worse and worse.....she became

hysterical....just holding her head screaming.

________________________________________________________

I haven't read any further on this, I don't know what else was written. If,

however, this was me I'd run, not walk to the ER. Better yet, pick up the

phone and call 911, this is an emergency. If, for not other reason, than

that the child is in pain, I mean extreme pain.

Randy

rlogle@...

www.geocities.com/rogle32/

AIM: rlogleeln

Open RNY: Sept. 26, 2001: 207 lbs gone.

Daddy to Doogun, Jasper, and Zoe.

Lord, Please help me to become the Person

my Dog's think I am.

ER usage (Surgeon's strike)

>

>

> > Randy, I certainly agree with you on the overuse of the ER. However,

> there is another side to that picture. I know, because I am on

> Medicare/Medicaid only. I am on Social Security disability and cannot

> afford any other insurance. I am actually very fortunate, the coverage is

> pretty good with both Medicare and Medicaid combined. But even so, I

still

> have to go to the emergency room sometimes, when if I had only had the

> decency to get sick between 9 and 5, Monday through Friday, I could have

> seen a doctor in his office. I have actually called my doctor or surgeon

> after hours about a problem, and he has told me to go to the ER,

especially

> if it is Friday night.

> >

> > Like I said, I am lucky. However, there are a lot of people who have

> fallen through the cracks and have no insurance coverage whatsoever. This

> can happen, I have known several people in that situation. They have no

> choice but to use the ER as their PCP. I think the repeaters often have a

> mental or social problem, but that is hard to address in our system. For

> instance, in my city, there is not one psychiatrist who will take

Medicaid,

> unless you go to a special clinic. You have to be really, really sick to

> get in there. People who are just a nuisance are not considered for

> treatment.

> >

> > Maybe the ER could assist in finding appropriate care for some of these

> people. There are many people who are not capable of making phonecalls

and

> filling out paperwork. There are caseworkers that will help with that,

but

> you have to know who to call and be able to fill out paperwork just to get

a

> caseworker.

> >

> > Randy, I really do understand what you are saying, and I agree with most

> of it, but our health system is not designed to give equal treatment for

> everyone, and until that happens, we will continue to have problems like

> these.

> >

> >

> > Barbara

> > 9 years out

> > From 300-130

> >

> >

> >

> >