USA_1
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2009
- Messages
- 3,142
- Reaction score
- 688
- Location
- BANNED
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Independent
"FRIDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- An estimated 50 million, or 42 percent, of the 120 million visits made in 2006 to U.S. hospital emergency departments were billed to the Medicaid and Medicare programs, according to a U.S. government report released Thursday.
Uninsured patients accounted for nearly 18 percent of emergency department visits nationally, 34 percent were billed to private insurance, and 6 percent were billed to worker's compensation, military health plan administrator Tricare, and other payers, according to the latest News and Numbers from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality."
ER Visits Mostly by Medicare, Medicaid Recipients
Most visits are medicare. So? More old people have actual emergencies. That's understandable. Uninsured accounted for 18%. Almost 1 in 5. You don't see the problem with that? Or the costs involved?
"There is a growing trend for the uninsured and undocumented (illegal) immigrants to use the ER. If they have no assets, the state will pick up the tab (assuming the state has any money). Billions of dollars are spent each year for care of undocumented aliens - one of the reasons for California's financial crisis, and often one of the reasons that bankrupt hospitals who are struggling to stay in the black. When hospitals charge $20 for a Tylenol tablet, or $32 for a "dressing" (just a band-aid) to the insured, this is often to offset the free care that must legally be provided."
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