9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas

[The Watcher]

9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Just nine people accounted for nearly 2,700 of the emergency room visits in the Austin area during the past six years at a cost of $3 million to taxpayers and others, according to a report. The patients went to hospital emergency rooms 2,678 times from 2003 through 2008, said the report from the nonprofit Integrated Care Collaboration, a group of health care providers who care for low-income and uninsured patients.

"What we're really trying to do is find out who's using our emergency rooms ... and find solutions," said Ann Kitchen, executive director of the group, which presented the report last week to the Travis County Healthcare District board.

The average emergency room visit costs $1,000. Hospitals and taxpayers paid the bill through government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, Kitchen said.

Eight of the nine patients have drug abuse problems, seven were diagnosed with mental health issues and three were homeless. Five are women whose average age is 40, and four are men whose average age is 50, the report said, the Austin American-Statesman reported Wednesday.

"It's a pretty significant issue," said Dr. Christopher Ziebell, chief of the emergency department at University Medical Center at Brackenridge, which has the busiest ERs in the area.

Solutions include referring some frequent users to mental health programs or primary care doctors for future care, Ziebell said.

"They have a variety of complaints," he said. With mental illness, "a lot of anxiety manifests as chest pain."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jdfv4h5B2SdQEmGJsGHHWgvPZVygD979T0980

[The Watcher]

This is not unusual for hospitals in the United States.

There was a gentleman at the hospital where I work who checked in for treatment 56 times in a 17 day period.

[abarron]

WTF?

[MONSTER]

They should put those people to sleep the next time they check in to the hospital.

[risingstar]

The average emergency room visit costs $1,000.




That's the real crime.

[lord odin]

They should put those people to sleep the next time they check in to the hospital.
I wonder is your definition of sleep the same as mine?:sly2:

[The Watcher]

There was a guy who would show up at the hospital on a regular basis. He would come in for treatment and abuse the staff. He would threaten them, refuse to cooperate, throw tantrums, etc. He was a real a-hole.

But I digress.

One of his routines was as follows:

1. He would go to a local tavern.

2. After drinking his fill, he would call 911 and tell them that he was having chest pains or some other injury and that he needed help.

3. The Fire Department and ambulance would arrive and transport him to the county hospital.

4. He would be seen by a physician and promptly discharged.

5. This entitled him to a coupon which allowed him to get a free taxi ride to his place of residence (a distance of several miles outside of the city).

This "gentleman" used the emergency services as his own private transport service.

Guess who paid his bills?

[lord odin]

There was a guy who would show up at the hospital on a regular basis. He would come in for treatment and abuse the staff. He would threaten them, refuse to cooperate, throw tantrums, etc. He was a real a-hole.

But I digress.

One of his routines was as follows:

1. He would go to a local tavern.

2. After drinking his fill, he would call 911 and tell them that he was having chest pains or some other injury and that he needed help.

3. The Fire Department and ambulance would arrive and transport him to the county hospital.

4. He would be seen by a physician and promptly discharged.

5. This entitled him to a coupon which allowed him to get a free taxi ride to his place of residence (a distance of several miles outside of the city).

This "gentleman" used the emergency services as his own private transport service.

Guess who paid his bills?
Im sorry but that's very smart of the guy I guess he wasn't too drunk.:laugh:
Getting serious now it's really sad how we have to keep paying for all this BS.:banghead:

[The Watcher]

People underestimate the amount of fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry. There is no oversight. No one is held accountable. No one represents the taxpayer. Hospitals are required to treat all patients regardless of the patient's history of fraud or abuse.

Entitlement programs encourage a lack of responsibility.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=69029&catid=37

Buffalo, NY, July 2009:

"Graham doesn't have a job, insurance or car. So, when he feels bad, he doesn't call a cab. He calls 911 to have an ambulance drive him to the hospital.

A 2 On Your Side investigation found that from January 2006 to May of this year, Rural Metro Ambulance picked him up 603 times.

Medicaid picked up the tab for each ride, costing taxpayers at least $118,158.

Graham estimates he's requested even more rides. "I'd say about a thousand times."

[dr_teng]

Eight of the nine patients have drug abuse problems, seven were diagnosed with mental health issues and three were homeless. Five are women whose average age is 40, and four are men whose average age is 50, the report said, the Austin American-Statesman reported Wednesday.

Seems a fairly easy solution. Give proper funding to rehab clinics, mental facilities, and the variety of services that the poor should have available to them, thus minimizing fraud from people who aren't of sound mind, and possibly even making them productive (and just as important, healthy) citizens again.

In cases of obvious fraud where the person is of sound mind (i.e. using a taxi as a transport), toss them in jail like you would with any other fraudulent action.

[protector2814]

I like the "put them to sleep" idea better. Enough of this crap.

[The Watcher]

There definitely needs to be more accountability.