Why that sonofabitch...

wrote in message
...
I don't know what the codes say in each area, but I can tell
you that in each area of that which I am familiar, there is a county,
city, or parish hospital that will and does treat people who can't pay
for service.


in this area, ALL of the Hospitals are required to do so.
We have no system in PA that separates 'public' from 'private' hospitals.
Tom

On Fri, 4 Apr 2008 23:34:38 -0400, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .

Um, Wayne, I think he might be talking about "public"/taxpayer-supported
hospitals.

He was referencing the "Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor
Act"-EMTALA. It requires a patient be given a screening examination and
treatment for life threatening situations before they are transferred or
discharged. It doesn't entitle one to carte blanche services tho some think
it does.

I can't speak for areas/hospitals that I don't know, but I can tell you
that _all_ the areas that I do know have "free" county/parish/city
taxpayer-supported hospitals (via "hospital district" prop tax, among
other ways) where people get treatment for things that are in no way
"emergencies" or even life-threatening (colds, sprains, minor cuts and
gashes, etc.). How much/what kind of treatment versus one with full
insurance or cash in hand, how it may be billed/charged
off/accounted-for/whatever, etc. are things that I don't know.

Yes, there are certain states/counties/cities with taxpayer supported
facilities but even they have to bill something and EMTALA applies to them.

Even if it isn't an emergency or labor? I thought that is what all the
"caids," etc., were for(?)

TC,
R

wrote in message
...


Even if it isn't an emergency or labor? I thought that is what all the
"caids," etc., were for(?)


Every state has different Medicaid qualifications and if one is not a minor
child or a woman with children it can often be very hard to qualify for it
in places like Indiana and south of the Mason Dixon line. Louisiana does
have it state run charity hospitals but outside of cities with places like
Grady in Atlanta, the uninsured and poor are dependent upon the policies of
the particular facility. There's a big debate gathering steam about
"non-profit" hospitals and the amount of charity care we provide to support
the tax exemption vis a vis the value of the exemption and the "excess
revenues" we have as an industry. Last Friday's WSJ had a very interesting
article on the subject.

"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
. ..
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news
So I have been around healthcare all my life

i've been around electricity all my life, that doesn't mean I can tell the
power company how to engineer a power plant.

And anybody who shows up at an ER will be treated! Is the law.

The law requires evaluation and stabilization of a life threatening
condition.

Stick to fishing dude.



I can also tell the power company how to engineer their plant. And
everybody will be treated. If you are not, because they thought you had a
minor cold and went outside and dropped dead, they would owe millions.
Being the EE and software guy on Biomedical devices, I know all about the
insurance costs and how much paperwork goes into covering your ass.

"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
. ..

wrote in message
...


Even if it isn't an emergency or labor? I thought that is what all the
"caids," etc., were for(?)


Every state has different Medicaid qualifications and if one is not a
minor child or a woman with children it can often be very hard to qualify
for it in places like Indiana and south of the Mason Dixon line. Louisiana
does have it state run charity hospitals but outside of cities with places
like Grady in Atlanta, the uninsured and poor are dependent upon the
policies of the particular facility. There's a big debate gathering steam
about "non-profit" hospitals and the amount of charity care we provide to
support the tax exemption vis a vis the value of the exemption and the
"excess revenues" we have as an industry. Last Friday's WSJ had a very
interesting article on the subject.



And if you have life threatening injuries, they will stabilize you and if
possible send you off to the county hospital when safe, but all will treat
you first and then send you to the next facility. Does not have to be life
threatening, as they do not know if it is or is not at first guess.

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...


...Being the EE and software guy on Biomedical devices, I know all about
the insurance costs and how much paperwork goes into covering your ass.

Well.....gosh.....yeah. How could it be otherwise?

Your mistake is simply paying attention to Mr. Knight's rambling musings on
things hospitalish. I mean, a massive collection of fly fishing gear hardly
matches your impressive credentials......right?

Wolfgang
who can hardly express his joy at FINALLY having someone in this place
qualified to speak with authority on something or other.

On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 20:59:16 -0400, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .


Even if it isn't an emergency or labor? I thought that is what all the
"caids," etc., were for(?)


Every state has different Medicaid qualifications and if one is not a minor
child or a woman with children it can often be very hard to qualify for it
in places like Indiana and south of the Mason Dixon line. Louisiana does
have it state run charity hospitals but outside of cities with places like
Grady in Atlanta, the uninsured and poor are dependent upon the policies of
the particular facility. There's a big debate gathering steam about
"non-profit" hospitals and the amount of charity care we provide to support
the tax exemption vis a vis the value of the exemption and the "excess
revenues" we have as an industry. Last Friday's WSJ had a very interesting
article on the subject.

Um, unless Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida moved north of the
MD in the last 24 hours, it isn't hard for anyone to get treatment in
them for anything, albeit not at any hospital they might wish - all have
various forms of "charity care," at least in some form and all general
locations of which I am familiar.

TC,
R

On Apr 9, 1:08*am, "Calif Bill" wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
I know all about the
insurance costs and how much paperwork goes into covering your ass

Look Mr. Bill. I have been in the healthcare industry since 1978 and
in the financial/leadership side of it since 1986. I am currently
responsible for six hospitals spread accross the state of Indiana. You
might know something about electrical engineering but you just think
you know about healthcare. Your original premise was that lawsuits and
HMO were primarily responsible for the cost of care. It's a common
theme and an incorrect one at that.

Have a nice day.

On Apr 9, 10:02*am, wrote:

Um, unless Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida moved north of the
MD in the last 24 hours, it isn't hard for anyone to get treatment in
them for anything, albeit not at any hospital they might wish - all have
various forms of "charity care," at least in some form and all general
locations of which I am familiar.


You asked about "the caids." Giving something away due to a charity
policy and medicaid are two different issues. There are hospitals all
around this country that provide emergent and non emergent care for
people without the resources to get it otherwise. Not only is it a
question of being able to pay for it, it is also a matter of having
access to care and unfortunately the hospital ER has become the
community safety net. While there remains a number of state/county/
city/ run "charity" hospitals the number of these facilities gets
lower every year due to their high costs.

"Wayne Knight" wrote in message
...
On Apr 9, 1:08 am, "Calif Bill" wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
I know all about the
insurance costs and how much paperwork goes into covering your ass

Look Mr. Bill. I have been in the healthcare industry since 1978 and
in the financial/leadership side of it since 1986. I am currently
responsible for six hospitals spread accross the state of Indiana. You
might know something about electrical engineering but you just think
you know about healthcare. Your original premise was that lawsuits and
HMO were primarily responsible for the cost of care. It's a common
theme and an incorrect one at that.

Have a nice day.

Maybe the hospitals would not be in such bad shape if they had people in the
financial/leadership side of it since 1986 that had any common sense.