General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUninsured friend on FB had to go to ER, was rejected for a needed colonoscopy.
He's been having abdominal pains and bloody stools.
He has no health insurance and his employer doesn't offer it. The administrator told him that the specialist needed cash up front.
So much for the favorite conserva-meme "The Emergency Room takes EVERYone! There's no problem with teh poors not gettin health care!" . . .
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)routinely provided by the ER.. That may be one of them.. Had your friend been in danger of dying there and then, they might have admitted him.
He will probably need to call a medical group that does colonoscopies and schedule his free one through their office.
He might also call the hospital's patient advocate office and perhaps they can advise him..
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts). . . . my point is summed up in Post 4: The ER is NOT a viable alternative to health insurance and many on this thread have pointed out why.
I posted this because the wingdings in my office were throwing this bullshit around that "no ER will deny any person if they need health care, Obamacare, blargle blargle blargh". But what if something that falls into the not-so-happy medium of "not critical, but not necessarily a condition you can brush off" happens?
pangaia
(24,324 posts)I have two very good and one good not-for-profit hospitals within 20 minutes and 45 minutes. This would never happen at any of these.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)Can your friend get financial aid? I am not sure I am using the correct term. but a friend of my mine who didn't have healthcare for her son, got a hospital scholarship to help cover the cost when he broke his leg.
Gothmog
(145,839 posts)The GOP talking point on this is wrong
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)give an appropriate referral for follow-up care, and discharge.
And they only need to do that if the accept Medicare payments, which is probably almost every hospital in the company, especially those who have emergency rooms.
There has long been a popular notion that all ERs treat all comers fully, but that simply isn't the case. What makes it seem confusing is that if you're in a car accident, or you have a broken bone, or flu symptoms, you will get treated, because these are simple and straight forward things. Abdominal pain and bloody stools? Going to require lots of diagnostic stuff. Presumably they gave your friend some sort of medicine to relieve symptoms, but they, unfortunately, have no obligation beyond that.
There ought to be some sort of department in the hospital that can help him get even temporary coverage for treatment. While it may be too late, I hope he is signing up for Obamacare.
Alas, this is far too common a story in this country.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)Hope he did so.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)that he needed.
And now I hope he can get the needed tests in the very near future.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)It also goes to what makes Washington go 'round: Cash is King.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)If you're not in immediate danger of dying, they won't take you. And your friend is not currently in immediate danger.
But have no fear, that problem may fix itself soon.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)This is where the GOP meme fails miserably and why the status quo needs to be quashed.
We still haven't solved the issue of affordability in spite of qualification. Seems to me we never will.
treestar
(82,383 posts)my state has "screening for life" and low income people can get all of the cancer screening tests through it.
Spirochete
(5,264 posts)I don't think. There are two or three days of prep involved with getting a colonoscopy. So that would be their way out. Though the pain and bleeding would indicate urgent need for some kind of action.