Why do people call for an ambulance for minor things????!
Question: Why do people call for an ambulance for minor things!?!?!?!?
Most call because they are on state insurance and the ride is free!. They have no way of getting to the Hospital so they call for an ambulance for a sore throat or a darn tooth ache!!!! It's ridiculous!!!! What are your thoughts on this!? There has to be a better way to deal with this, like have the people call a cab instead of an ambulance!!!!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I am a Social Worker and have worked in several emergency rooms!. My husband is a Paramedic for our nation's capital so I completely understand what you're saying!. However, the problem clearly lies with the state!. Some state's medicaid coverage is SO good, there is no reason to be responsible and considerate!. For example, the copay for a doctor is higher than it is for the ER (the ER is $0 where I live for medicaid)!. So why go to the doctor if you can go to the ER for free!? Going to the doctor means you'll have to wait to get blood work and a diagnosis!. Going to the ER, you'll get some lunch, all of your tests and blood work done in one place and all of the results and scripts for meds before you leave!. If all of that is free and clearly the easiest option!.!.what reason does a person have to still be responsible and go to the doctor instead!?
Also, many people do not have insurance and use EMTALA as an excuse to treat the ER as a minute-clinic and then refuse to pay!. This puts an enormous strain on the health care system!. Guess what!? Health care bills can now be refered to collection agencies and it will go on your credit report!. Some people report to the ER with fake names and since EMTALA forbids the hospital to require ID, bills go to bad addresses all the time!. Again, "why pay when you don't have to" is honestly OK with some people!. Not me of course!.
My solutions:
-Medicaids need to put copays on ER visits UNLESS the ER triages the person at "Semi-Emergent" or higher!. Anything "Urgent" or lower should have patient responsibility!.
-Doctors need to stop being afraid of law-suits and refuse to treat rediculous compaints!. EMTALA guarantees a medical screening only, it does not force the ER to treat someone unless their condition is triaged as Emergent/Life threatening!. If someone comes in for a stubbed toe, the doctor needs to refer them to a clinic and send them out the door!. Doctors don't do this!. They treat them and reward the behavior!.
-Fine people for using ambulances and emergency services for less then "urgent" complaints!. Hey people, if my dad has a heart attack and the ambulance can't get to him because you already called for it so you can go to the hospital for a med-refill, I will personally seek legal action against you!. Hospitals and the state should be doing this on their own!. If a death or decline in condition occur due to a less than urgent complaint or abuse of the system, the person should receive a fine!. This has been discussed in several states but has yet to be implemented because they're afraid someone won't be able to tell if it is an emergency or not and won't call for help because they're afraid of the fine!.
-Refuse transport!. Believe it or not, out of the thousands of calls EMS receives each year, some individuals, themselves alone, make up for 1%, 5%!.!.even more of those calls!. Some companies run the same person 3+ times per day!. I honestly believe that transport should be refused to people who cry wolf over 1,000 times in a year!. This sounds mean, but do you know how much 1,000 times per year for one person costs the tax payers!? Ambulance bill+hospital bill x1,000=several thousand kids that could have gone to a University for free!. All because of one person's selfishness!.
I too wish that people would realise that there are a limited amounts of ambulances that can respond to calls!. Your toothache call can, will and most likely already has caused a delay in care for someone who needed it, including the death of another person!. How would you feel if you or someone you loved had to die because Sally Sue already tied the ambulance up with her sore throat!? People really should consider that before abusing the system!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Also, many people do not have insurance and use EMTALA as an excuse to treat the ER as a minute-clinic and then refuse to pay!. This puts an enormous strain on the health care system!. Guess what!? Health care bills can now be refered to collection agencies and it will go on your credit report!. Some people report to the ER with fake names and since EMTALA forbids the hospital to require ID, bills go to bad addresses all the time!. Again, "why pay when you don't have to" is honestly OK with some people!. Not me of course!.
My solutions:
-Medicaids need to put copays on ER visits UNLESS the ER triages the person at "Semi-Emergent" or higher!. Anything "Urgent" or lower should have patient responsibility!.
-Doctors need to stop being afraid of law-suits and refuse to treat rediculous compaints!. EMTALA guarantees a medical screening only, it does not force the ER to treat someone unless their condition is triaged as Emergent/Life threatening!. If someone comes in for a stubbed toe, the doctor needs to refer them to a clinic and send them out the door!. Doctors don't do this!. They treat them and reward the behavior!.
-Fine people for using ambulances and emergency services for less then "urgent" complaints!. Hey people, if my dad has a heart attack and the ambulance can't get to him because you already called for it so you can go to the hospital for a med-refill, I will personally seek legal action against you!. Hospitals and the state should be doing this on their own!. If a death or decline in condition occur due to a less than urgent complaint or abuse of the system, the person should receive a fine!. This has been discussed in several states but has yet to be implemented because they're afraid someone won't be able to tell if it is an emergency or not and won't call for help because they're afraid of the fine!.
-Refuse transport!. Believe it or not, out of the thousands of calls EMS receives each year, some individuals, themselves alone, make up for 1%, 5%!.!.even more of those calls!. Some companies run the same person 3+ times per day!. I honestly believe that transport should be refused to people who cry wolf over 1,000 times in a year!. This sounds mean, but do you know how much 1,000 times per year for one person costs the tax payers!? Ambulance bill+hospital bill x1,000=several thousand kids that could have gone to a University for free!. All because of one person's selfishness!.
I too wish that people would realise that there are a limited amounts of ambulances that can respond to calls!. Your toothache call can, will and most likely already has caused a delay in care for someone who needed it, including the death of another person!. How would you feel if you or someone you loved had to die because Sally Sue already tied the ambulance up with her sore throat!? People really should consider that before abusing the system!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
People do this because they don't have to sit in the waiting room for hours and hours if they come in an ambulance!. That is a big reason for doing it as well as the others that you mentioned!.
It is very irritating that people will put themselves before others who are truly in need of urgent care!. But, unfortunately a lot of people are so used to getting a free ride from the govt, etc that they feel completely comfortable with doing this!.
I would feel totally ashamed if I did something like that, but the price I pay is sitting in an ER waiting room for hours because they are too busy treating an ear ache from an ambulance!Www@Answer-Health@Com
It is very irritating that people will put themselves before others who are truly in need of urgent care!. But, unfortunately a lot of people are so used to getting a free ride from the govt, etc that they feel completely comfortable with doing this!.
I would feel totally ashamed if I did something like that, but the price I pay is sitting in an ER waiting room for hours because they are too busy treating an ear ache from an ambulance!Www@Answer-Health@Com
It seems like you answered your own question!.!.!.people ride the ambulance because its free!. A cab would cost money!.!.!.especially if you live where cabs aren't very popular!. There should be a better way to help out people who can't drive to the hospital, or who can't pay for a cab!. These people could get a ride with a friend!. or maybe the community they live in could provide a service to men and women with some sort of disadvantage ie not being able to drive to doctor appointments!. Just something to do to help!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
We had a lady with a "spider bite!." She was an older gal, completely convinced she was bitten by a brown recluse and was positive she was going to loose her leg! After all the hard work of getting her vitals, history and all that, it ended up being a mosquito bite! But we don't sign up for mosquito bites, we do it because every now and then, we actually save a life!(that's what I keep telling myself when I get a "headache" or a "broken toe!.")Www@Answer-Health@Com
i know what you mean, i work in hospital and i do ER's paperwork!. some of things that they see there, just makes me wonder!. i think a lot of it has to do with people not having insurance, and/or a current doctors appointment!. i don't know maybe its all those prescription drug commericals on tv, and i guess people diagnosis themselves before even seeing a doctor!. i don't think that problem will ever be solved!.
with my insurance i have its MORE expensive to go to ER then my primary care physicanWww@Answer-Health@Com
with my insurance i have its MORE expensive to go to ER then my primary care physicanWww@Answer-Health@Com
I agree it's ridiculous!. I knew someone who used to call an ambulance because they thought they would be seen quicker!. (Duh, I'm pretty sure the guy who got shot still gets seen first!.) I can't believe anyone would call for a toothache, geez, I'm sure they have or you wouldn't have mentioned it!. People have nerve I think!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I think a lot of peoples lives are so boring and they don't get enough attention, so they "create" a situation where they are in the limelight for a little while and get some wanted, needed attention!.!.!.!.!.!.!.What they should do is go and get some EMT training and help other people!.!.!.!.They may have a desire to be and EMT person!.!.!.!.In fact they may become one of the best at this!.!.!.!.!.!.!.This is all just one persons thought!.!.!. Its my 2 cents worth!.!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
my sister did that the other day, shes pregnant and was feeling sick and didnt want to drive to the hospital, i told her she should of asked me to take her, but she said the ambulance was faster!. what a looserWww@Answer-Health@Com
They call because they are a bit selfish and MANY Americans are dramatic and overreact! P!.S!. beautiful baby!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Maybe the call because going to the ER is cheaper for them then going into the physicians office for a regular visit!. They may just wait to long and then freak out!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
This is a perfect example of wasted tax dollars!. I think the government also provides them with traveling money if they ask!. The laws should prevent it!. Write to your representatives at
http://www!.congress!.orgWww@Answer-Health@Com
http://www!.congress!.orgWww@Answer-Health@Com
Some people panic over minor thingsWww@Answer-Health@Com
As a kid I broke my nose!. My mother didn't want to drive to the hospital, so she asked the police to escort me over!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
It could be a number of things, and all quite likely a weakness in character!.
- Very spoiled!. Expects service for anything!. Impatient too, since it's a part of being spoiled!. Quite likely this person may have been over-pampered as a child where only a small whine or a push of a button always provides them with their problems solved!.
-Chronic complainer!. Will grumble about the smallest things and feels a sense of justice in calling for help since they are a victim constantly by the cruel cruel world that they live in!. They feel that the state, and society in general, owes them!.
-Very weak and feeble!. Terrified of people, cabs, buses, etc!. This person is afraid of anything and probably also calls the police when a neighbor is installing a satellite dish for fear of terrorist communications!. May also suffer from conspiracy theory!. Quite likely mental illness could fall in this category!.
-Very stupid!. Maybe this person is just too much of a moron to truly comprehend what a burden on the system he or she is!.
The best way to deal with abuse is to charge a small fee, something like $75-$100 - not too much to be un-affordable for emergencies but big enough to sting the pocket book when a cab could have been cheaper!. Maybe the state could reimburse the serious emergencies if proven to be!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
- Very spoiled!. Expects service for anything!. Impatient too, since it's a part of being spoiled!. Quite likely this person may have been over-pampered as a child where only a small whine or a push of a button always provides them with their problems solved!.
-Chronic complainer!. Will grumble about the smallest things and feels a sense of justice in calling for help since they are a victim constantly by the cruel cruel world that they live in!. They feel that the state, and society in general, owes them!.
-Very weak and feeble!. Terrified of people, cabs, buses, etc!. This person is afraid of anything and probably also calls the police when a neighbor is installing a satellite dish for fear of terrorist communications!. May also suffer from conspiracy theory!. Quite likely mental illness could fall in this category!.
-Very stupid!. Maybe this person is just too much of a moron to truly comprehend what a burden on the system he or she is!.
The best way to deal with abuse is to charge a small fee, something like $75-$100 - not too much to be un-affordable for emergencies but big enough to sting the pocket book when a cab could have been cheaper!. Maybe the state could reimburse the serious emergencies if proven to be!.Www@Answer-Health@Com