Healthcare Debate - An ER Physician's Perspective
I am a young engineer and in order to make a wise decision about the recent healthcare debate, I needed to ask an expert. Therefore, I called an Emergency Room Physician that I greatly respect and has been practicing for about 30 years to see what he thought. His answer was so startling, I asked him to write it down for me because everyone needs to hear this:
"Many of us in primary healthcare are faced with much skepticism of the Obama admin's efforts to quickly pass healthcare reform. Our system is not as broken as many Americans have been led to believe. That does not imply that significant changes are not necessary. But trying to rapidly renovate the system without considering the long term effects on the American citizens and on taxpayers will be devastating. Other models of government run healthcare have proven to be very inadequate at meeting healthcare needs.
As an example, I was faced with a situation concerning a patient in my ED recently who was from Canada and was insured under their plan. The patient was a 55 yr old male who presented with acute coronary syndrome [heart attack] and was in need of emergent intervention. I explained the results of lab and ECG [heart scan] findings and told the patient that he needed to go straight to the cath lab to be studied [heart catheterization]. He was very conscientious and knowledgeable and informed me that first he had to contact the gatekeeper for his national healthcare insurance. I called the number given and spoke with the gatekeeper. I informed the person of the patient's condition and of the need for emergency treatment. The patient's presenting complaint, labs, and ECG findings were reiterated along with my recommendations for immediate cardiology consult and catheterization. The reply floored me. I was informed that the patient could be flown to the appropriate hospital, closest to his home where he would be evaluated by a cardiologist and placed on a waiting list for heart catheterization within the next few weeks. I asked the person to repeat himself. I listened, and politely hung up the phone and called our on call cardiologist who took the patient to the cath lab where he was studied and stented [to open the artery and facilitate the flow of blood through the heart]. This type of situation would be common if govt. based healthcare reform is passed. The American public must understand that "rationed" healthcare will result, not withstanding an insurmountable debt. A slow, deliberate, debated, and wisely approached change is required.
-A Very Concerned TX Emergency Dept. Physician"
It was determined by the hospital administration that the risk of him dieing if he left was so great, that they would eat the cost of his multi-thousand dollar treatment. My questions to you are, How many stories like this do you need to hear? Would you wish this on someone you love?
If you have insurance through your work and they pass healthcare reform with a govt. run public option that is cheaper than what your work is paying, will they switch you to the govt. care? I bet mine will.
"Many of us in primary healthcare are faced with much skepticism of the Obama admin's efforts to quickly pass healthcare reform. Our system is not as broken as many Americans have been led to believe. That does not imply that significant changes are not necessary. But trying to rapidly renovate the system without considering the long term effects on the American citizens and on taxpayers will be devastating. Other models of government run healthcare have proven to be very inadequate at meeting healthcare needs.
As an example, I was faced with a situation concerning a patient in my ED recently who was from Canada and was insured under their plan. The patient was a 55 yr old male who presented with acute coronary syndrome [heart attack] and was in need of emergent intervention. I explained the results of lab and ECG [heart scan] findings and told the patient that he needed to go straight to the cath lab to be studied [heart catheterization]. He was very conscientious and knowledgeable and informed me that first he had to contact the gatekeeper for his national healthcare insurance. I called the number given and spoke with the gatekeeper. I informed the person of the patient's condition and of the need for emergency treatment. The patient's presenting complaint, labs, and ECG findings were reiterated along with my recommendations for immediate cardiology consult and catheterization. The reply floored me. I was informed that the patient could be flown to the appropriate hospital, closest to his home where he would be evaluated by a cardiologist and placed on a waiting list for heart catheterization within the next few weeks. I asked the person to repeat himself. I listened, and politely hung up the phone and called our on call cardiologist who took the patient to the cath lab where he was studied and stented [to open the artery and facilitate the flow of blood through the heart]. This type of situation would be common if govt. based healthcare reform is passed. The American public must understand that "rationed" healthcare will result, not withstanding an insurmountable debt. A slow, deliberate, debated, and wisely approached change is required.
-A Very Concerned TX Emergency Dept. Physician"
It was determined by the hospital administration that the risk of him dieing if he left was so great, that they would eat the cost of his multi-thousand dollar treatment. My questions to you are, How many stories like this do you need to hear? Would you wish this on someone you love?
If you have insurance through your work and they pass healthcare reform with a govt. run public option that is cheaper than what your work is paying, will they switch you to the govt. care? I bet mine will.
Labels: ER Physician Perspective
posted by Aero_Phile | 5:25 AM
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