txjohn wrote:
Texas law requires a medical facility to provide emergency care without regard to any ability to pay, whether there is insurance or not.
Hi txjohn...I don't have a dog in this fight, but I'd like to add the perspective of someone in the trenches.
I understand the above law that you reference. It's the law everywhere in ERs. Now...reality time...is it always honored?
Sure it is...BUT...there is a lot...repeat a lot...of grey area in medical care. To do the CT or not to do the CT. (Do you know how expensive they are?) Does this patient really need the MRI, or did the x-ray show enough? (Do you know how expensive MRIs are?) Does this patient really need the new brand name drug, or is the older generic sufficient....even though the newer drug shows more efficacy? Do they really need the help of a plastic surgeon for that big cut on the child's face, or can the overworked resident (or student) do the sutures?
These decisions are made every day in ERs. Does everyone get the SAME care? No. Not on your life. Will anyone admit this? No. Not on your life. There is sufficient care, and then there is top notch care. They are not the same. Sufficient care is not negligence or malpractice as long as the minimum standard of care is met.
Whether or not a person has insurance is shown on the chart. Do you think the ER doc's eyes don't glance over that right away? Physicians are hounded by hospitals every day to hold down costs. If they are dealing with an uninsured patient, then the hospital pays. Because our healthcare system is a for-profit system (yes, even the nonprofits), corners are cut every day.
I don't want those corners to be cut for my child. Your access to specialists can be limited without insurance.
I hesitated to even post this because it's something you don't say out loud. But it happens. Every day. That is why I will always provide insurance information for my child.
As is said so often...follow the money. That's where you'll find the reality of why something happens or doesn't happen.
