How do you interpret this ACA sign?

[madville]

Is this actually mandated in the law that you have to have insurance for non-emergency care after that date? No cash patients accepted?

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. That could be their policy...haven't seen a thing about the ACA forcing that...

the ACA is just Health Insurance Regulation....

[Indykatie]

2. I Interpret it That Hospitals Will No Longer Treat Colds and Flu Etc Unless You Have Coverage

I'm not sure this is a change in policy if emergency rooms hospitals are currently required to only provide care for true emergency diagnoses or those that appear to be emergencies. The good news is that you can enroll at the hospital and apparently be treated. Much of the care provided in the ER are for conditions that could be treated in a doctor's office if the patient had a family physician.

[Ms. Toad]

6. Hospitals are required to stabilize patients in medical emergencies -

regardless of ability to pay - but that is all, and have been for years.

I am surprised they are connecting it to insurance though (rather than ability to pay).

[StrayKat]

3. Two things.

I imagine that soon many places will opt not to take patients without insurance except in emergencies.

Isn't the deadline to enroll Dec 15 (not Nov 30 as they say) for coverage effective Jan 1?

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Yes. It's Dec. 15th.

[lynne]

4. Interesting twist -

- and it's not reflected on their website that I can find. Must be only posted at the hospitals.
http://www.arh.org/our_services/all_services/emergency.aspx

I suspect it's a temporary situation. They must first determine who is and is not an emergency in order for a patient to be seen without insurance. The first time a patient without insurance is turned away as a non-emergency when it actually was an emergency and the patient is disabled or dies because of it, the sign will come down.

Unfortunately for someone, it won't take long.

[Lifelong Dem]

7. Anyone who doesn't go through the emergency doors will need insurance

Once you go through those doors... and the emergency is taken care of, and they give you a followup appointment for one of their services then you will need insurance. So if you come back with another emergency you will now have insurance. Sounds like this can catch on.

[TroglodyteScholar]

8. Informative?

Seems like plenty of into to me.

[alfie]

9. Now that's a big law suit waiting to happen

I worked for years in an ER and have triaged many, many patients. Some are easy to recognize as emergencies...person with crushing chest pain, gray, sweaty...heart attack! Listless child with fever...maybe a common viral illness that will resolve on it's own or may be meningitis. Sprained ankle just needs first aid ...Rest...Ice...Compression...Elevation. Broken ankle, now that's a different issue and you can't necessarily tell the difference without an x-ray. On the outside, both look the same.