Comments on: Patients use the ER for a second medical opinion http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2004/06/patients-er-medical-opinion.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:50:49 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2004/06/patients-er-medical-opinion.html/comment-page-1#comment-51582 Anonymous Sat, 19 Jun 2004 22:57:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2004/06/more-on-er-misuse.html#comment-51582 "Beats waiting months".<br /><br />Beats paying a bill as well. Many insured patients who go to the ER for specialty evaluation, especially those with plans that require referrals, end up stiffing their consulting specialist. Too often, their insurers deny payment to consultants called to evaluate patients in the ER by the ER staff physicians on the grounds that no referral was given (who do you call at 0200?). Of course, the indigent do not pay either, and the government indemnity programs that cover the hospital's costs of services provided to medically indigent ER patients do not extend to the providers of specialty care asked to come to evaluate and treat those patients during their ER visit.<br /><br />Is it any wonder that so many specialists withdraw from hospital staffs where the medicolegal risk of ER care is high and the compensation is zero? “Beats waiting months”.

Beats paying a bill as well. Many insured patients who go to the ER for specialty evaluation, especially those with plans that require referrals, end up stiffing their consulting specialist. Too often, their insurers deny payment to consultants called to evaluate patients in the ER by the ER staff physicians on the grounds that no referral was given (who do you call at 0200?). Of course, the indigent do not pay either, and the government indemnity programs that cover the hospital’s costs of services provided to medically indigent ER patients do not extend to the providers of specialty care asked to come to evaluate and treat those patients during their ER visit.

Is it any wonder that so many specialists withdraw from hospital staffs where the medicolegal risk of ER care is high and the compensation is zero?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2004/06/patients-er-medical-opinion.html/comment-page-1#comment-51580 Anonymous Sat, 19 Jun 2004 15:25:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2004/06/more-on-er-misuse.html#comment-51580 It is not just patients that are guilty of misuse of the E.R.. Several weeks ago my daughter and son-in-law awoke to find their 2 yr. old was ruuning a high fever and very hoarse with vomitting. My daughter waits until 9:00am when their PCP office opens and makes the phone call. She is told they have no openings until the middle of the next week and they should just take the baby to the ER...This was a week day and she was then forced to spend hours waiting in the ER to be seen..PCPs in many areas willingly send non-emergency pts.to E.R. It is not just patients that are guilty of misuse of the E.R.. Several weeks ago my daughter and son-in-law awoke to find their 2 yr. old was ruuning a high fever and very hoarse with vomitting. My daughter waits until 9:00am when their PCP office opens and makes the phone call. She is told they have no openings until the middle of the next week and they should just take the baby to the ER…This was a week day and she was then forced to spend hours waiting in the ER to be seen..PCPs in many areas willingly send non-emergency pts.to E.R.

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