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Reply With QuoteWow, I was going to say that there had to be substance abuse issues, otherwise each patient going to the ER an average of 300 times in one year would not make any sense at all. How very sad (and maddening).
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Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas
Wed Apr 1, 9:19 pm ET
AUSTIN, Texas – 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."
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas I bet all 9 patients were refered to follow up visits to non-emergency facilities, but nobody went.
According to another report released also today, recurrent hospital visits without seeing primary care physician as suggested at initial discharge cost to Medicaid/Medicare programs over 17 billions.
How about handing these cases to social workers who'll do follow ups, scheduling and making sure patients go for follow-ups in dr. offices and clinics?
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas It was over a 5 year span. So that's an average of 60 times per year.Wow, I was going to say that there had to be substance abuse issues, otherwise each patient going to the ER an average of 300 times in one year would not make any sense at all. How very sad (and maddening).
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas I'm relieved that my reading comprehension was so off! Still, if there are substance abuse issues those people are going to ER as opposed to a PCP on purpose because the ER/Urgent Care policy is generally to give them what they want, even if you suspect that they are drug seekers (this is what I have been told by my friend who is a nurse).Originally Posted by Clipper
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas Maybe yes, maybe no.
It could very likely be people who have a chronic illness and no medical coverage, and can't afford to see a pcp.
Obviously, the ER has to take them. A PCP doesn't.
No insurace? No $$? ER it is...
I have a couple friends who fall into this catergory. It sucks for them, and it sucks for the taxpayers. But what is the alternative? Death?
This just SCREAMS the need for universal healthcare!
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas Silly Beth.
We don't need universal healthcare. We are the richest country in the world and we can afford to spend millions and billions of dollars on the uninsured.
A great shirt I found online says: "America: Only the Insured survive"
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas Richest country in the world borrows money from 3-rd world country, China..Silly Beth.
We don't need universal healthcare. We are the richest country in the world and we can afford to spend millions and billions of dollars on the uninsured.
A great shirt I found online says: "America: Only the Insured survive"
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas I guess the 3 Million spent wasn't really that much considering the total # of visits made.
My DH's 6 hour hospital visit was over $10k. Top that off with the Doctor's bills , ect I received after for very minor surgery.
I think those were extreme cases in the story, but they really need to get a grip on the charges for services first.
Re: Whoa! 9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas
The reason the hospitals must charge these outrageous amounts is because of people highlighted in the original story. They aren't going to pay for any part of their own care. Somebody has to pay for Doctors, meds, the aides that change the bedding, etc. I had my first trip to an ER in major hospital in a huge city last year. It was a Friday night, in the summer. It was horrible. This place is the #1 place for traumas and all uninsured patients in the area. My 3yo child was hurt pretty bad (a fall on the head against a fireplace). We were forced to wait hours on end in the same triage area as someone under police custody, people who were under the influence of who knows what and everything in between. They didn't have enough room for folks and were just leaving beds with people in them wherever they could. Something needs to be done about accepting everybody and their dog for any reason (meaning the minor cases that have no business being seen in an ER) into the ER, but universal healthcare is not the answer.
You can give a horse a coupon, but you can't make it save.
