Was Thomas Duncan Initially Turned Away From The Hospital Because He's Black And Uninsured?

[Dustlawyer]

57. I took my brother into a mental health treatment facility last week upon the advice of his doctor

since his weight was down to 88lbs and he is severely addicted to pills and alcohol. My brother is mentally handicapped, on SS Disability with Medicaid and Medicare. We went to the hospital his doctor specified. I could tell they didn't want him right from the start. After 7 hours of evaluation and ambulance shows up and finds us still in the lobby waiting for his lab results. No one came out to give them to us. The paramedics said they were told that his Potassium was dangerously high and he needed to go to the Hospital located directly across the street. I walked across the street and waited for them at the ER entrance. We waited in the ER hallway for 2 hours, then in a room for one hour before a doctor came in confused, asking us why we were there. He said the Potassium was very slightly elevated and not anywhere near a danger. He asked if we wanted him to have my brother sent back across the street. Knowing they didn't want to treat him we went home at 2 a.m. If my brother had insurance he would have never been punted in the first place!

Having Medicaid or Medicare is almost as bad as no insurance. Medical treatment should not have a profit motive. If rich people had to have the same treatment as the poor, we would all be well cared for!