tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026214128770026952.post104660947657031540..comments2023-12-19T22:53:18.256-08:00Comments on the Happy Medic: If it's broke...how do we fix it?The Happy Medichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11521335229435386281noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026214128770026952.post-6071538449250925982009-03-15T09:46:00.000-07:002009-03-15T09:46:00.000-07:00We could cut visits to overcrowded ER's, or A&...We could cut visits to overcrowded ER's, or A&E's in half if it weren't free or relatively cheap. In Rhode Island, poor people, or rather people who are crafty enough to appear poor get complete medical coverage with no co-pay's for anything, prescriptions included. I swear for some a trip to the hospital via ambulance is a day out of the house and not much more. <BR/><BR/>The middle class are largely insured through their employers and pay small co-pays,never questioning the bill, just paying their ten or twenty bucks and forgetting about the rest.<BR/><BR/>The uninsured face bankruptcy or forgoing medical care at all. A decent plan costs $1,000.00 a month or more, a sum a lot of people cannot afford. A big percentage of insurance premiums is largely due to the overuse of health care facilities.<BR/><BR/>If people were to get the total bill from their emergency room visit, with all the unnecessary tests to ward off malpractice lawsuits, only those who truly need to be there would actually be there.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps a major illness or accident insurance policy to keep people from financial ruin is the answer, with most other health care costs being out of pocket expenses. Competition between health care providers to offer competitive prices for their services would begin. When is the last time you heard anybody choosing one hospital over another due to the cost? Quality should also improve, the poor facilities would dry up and go away.<BR/><BR/>Once people realized how expensive everything related to health care is, largely due to insurance companies and their ability to pay the abuse of the system should subside.<BR/><BR/>I'm sure my idea is full of holes, but what the heck, it's good to be the king now and then.Michael Morsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07451637745981389920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026214128770026952.post-91188178413462759962009-03-14T14:41:00.000-07:002009-03-14T14:41:00.000-07:00We too have problems with PD calling for the most ...We too have problems with PD calling for the most minor of injuries. I wonder if light duty paramedics in a low priority dispatch model could respond only to PD calls, be familiar with PD operations and only roll an ambulance if they need one.<BR/><BR/>Emergencies, right away, but cut elbows and drunks can wait.The Happy Medichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11521335229435386281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4026214128770026952.post-72402042155551989892009-03-14T14:15:00.000-07:002009-03-14T14:15:00.000-07:00Heres what we have at certain times of the year in...Heres what we have at certain times of the year in some areas of the North East Ambulance Service<BR/><BR/>A dedicated ambulance in the city centre to deal with the drunks to save pulling other resources away from the more appropriate jobs to deal with the intoxicated revellers visiting Newcastle<BR/><BR/>We have previously opened a mini hospital along with one of the local hospitals down in the centre of one of the busiest drinking parts of Newcastle to try and keep the drunk/injured patients away from the main A&E Unit.<BR/><BR/>We currently have paramedics working with police officers on duty to try and fend off the frequent requests for assistance from the police for certain MINOR injuries which do not require an ambulance response.<BR/><BR/>We have Community Paramedics in our rural areas who work as part of the community health teams and work closely with local GP surgerys (primary care physicians) and take some of the patients from the doctors list and provide services for various clinics.<BR/><BR/>Just a couple to get the conversation startedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com