Hopefully this would discourage non-emergent cases:
HCA Inc., which owns JFK and St. Lucie Medical, is enacting the policy at several of its hospitals nationwide. The punitive measure reflects the near-chronic clogging of emergency rooms, often with patients whose minor scrapes, coughs and aches could be treated – cheaper – at a doctor’s office or clinic. The worst result of the pay-first policy would be a seriously ill patient being turned away because he did not appear sick enough and could not pay the $140 upfront fee. Some doctors are worried they might become targets for malpractice lawsuits. And apprehension about the policy could deter patients with genuine emergencies.
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What a biased article. Since when is it “punitive” to demand that someone who is not in dire need of help to pay their bills? We have a nation and a media than thinks it is a right to be a conscience-free freeloader.
I wonder how they are going to do this because at first glance this is clearly illegal. Federal EMTALA law states the insurance/money/payment cannot be pursued until a medical screening is done or a patient is stabilized. This puts the poor sap ER doctor under threat of a 50K fine for each instance and can be prosecuted under broader laws than simple malpractice. If I were an ER doctor I would not work there until Congress changes the laws or the hospital CEO stands at triage and does medical screening exams.
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