Last Saturday I stayed in our local ER for 7 hours, 3 of which were waiting for physical therapist to come and evaluate me and educate me as to how to use a walker. Seems like a huge waste of Medicare/Insurance funds. Am sending a complaint form to the hospital but I suspect nothing will happen. Anyone have this experience and what did you do? I heard that the ER has to keep a Medicare patient for at least 4 hours to get reimbursed. Hope this isn't true!
The last several times I've been in the ER with my Mom (age 96) here in MN in a metro/suburban hospital, we waited 8 hrs. Then another trip to an ER in suburban FL last spring. Even longer than 8 hrs.
FYI I grew up in a bedroom community of NYC. Back then (1970s) the average wait in an ER was 8 hrs.
Nowadays, the US is short 30,000 doctors and the Boomers are mostly all above 65 now and needing a lot of healthcare resources. It's going to be this way for the foreseeable future.
An ambulance comes with enormous cost in dollars at times, but you will be delivered into a cubicle unless they are on serious divert triage and you are in a hallway--you WILL have hospital personnel on you at once and they will have been communicating with the ambulance as you enter.
Folks, our health care system, as regards this, is bad and going to get much much worse as people drop their insurance now. This is a good warning to us all.
It's important to have several plans of action in place for different scenarios..
A 7 hour wait is NOTHING these days. That is average. Were you in the hallway on a gurney or on a room. If you were in a room, you really have nothing to complain about.
Unfortunately, by the nature of insurance changes, many will now be unlikely to afford insurance, and our ERs will be even more full.
Very sorry this was the case. I imagine you will get the rote response. But glad you are writing them.
My own ER experience I would say was at least that long. Arrived. Waited to be seen. Was seen. Long history taken. IV placed. Eventually a CT scan to r/o kidney stone they suspected. Came back negative for findings. Pain remained. Were expecting a doctor in to read a complicated scan on another patient. Ran it by him. He found a diverticulitis in the Transverse bowel, unusual place for it. Medications ordered. And yeah, between each step a whole lot of waiting with others all around and in pain.
ERs admit and work around a constant "triage" which I had to do as an RN when floated there. When the stab wound comes in, your broken and now set arm goes to back burner fast, and it's all hands on deck.
Afraid it's a matter of timing.
Make sure it is covered on your insurance.
I'm confused though why a PT appt is considered an emergency?
Aren't these kinds of appts made in advance through an MD referral.
A social worker or nurse or assistant at MD office should be able to assist with walker usage.
Gena / Touch Matters
And as far as the ER not getting paid unless the patient is there for 4 hours - I suspect you are confusing the rules about time frame spent in the ER and being admitted under Medicare- I forget the actual rule and wording, but it's something to do with you can be in the ER up to 48 hours without being considered "admitted". The ER will get paid for treatment rendered whether it takes 4 hours or 4 minutes.
Like all other places, there are too many patients and not enough medical personnel to handle them in a timely fashion. Also, more and more doctors are refusing to see patients when they are sick (??), or else they can't fit a patient in for an appointment for weeks, so many people don't have a choice but to go to the ER for something they might ordinarily see their PCP.
I also suspect that ER's don't really WANT to speed people through, because then even more people will be more tempted to go to the ER rather than their PCP for every little thing.
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