| Millions of people in America go without a health | | | | even deadly. Having people with a variety of |
| insurance plan, yet they still come down with | | | | conditions in the same room for an extended |
| illnesses and injuries they are unsure of how to | | | | length of time can also result in certain diseases |
| handle. Although they aren't suffering from a | | | | being communicated from the extremely sick to |
| severe ailment that requires an ambulance, | | | | the relatively healthy. Since the majority of |
| Tylenol and a Band-Aid don't help. Many of these | | | | hospital ER facilities aren't meant to hold so many |
| uninsured individuals head to an emergency room | | | | people, employees are often unable to quarantine |
| instead of a primary doctor they may not have. | | | | those patients who are most ill. |
| Hospital emergency rooms are legally required to | | | | How can emergency rooms be taken back for |
| treat every patient that comes through, | | | | the people that most need them? The goal of |
| regardless of their insurance status. Indeed, people | | | | Congress' healthcare reform proposals is to insure |
| with public insurance or no insurance at all were | | | | up to 96% of the U.S. population. Hopefully, these |
| found to have an average wait no longer than | | | | people will be able to use their newly affordable |
| those with private plans. This has led to more | | | | health insurance plans to see primary care |
| people jamming the ER for minor problems, which | | | | physicians when they've come down with the |
| isn't the intended purpose of said facilities. | | | | seasonal flu or a sprained ankle and a pediatrician |
| Crowded ER rooms endanger those people | | | | when their child has an ear infection instead of |
| suffering from true emergencies. Hospitals do | | | | clogging up the ER. Those doctors would also |
| their best to triage patients and treat them in | | | | provide them with preventative care, which is |
| order of need. A study found that over the past | | | | better and cheaper in the long run. Emergency |
| decade, wait times for emergency patients | | | | room bills are expensive; while hospital ERs are |
| increased on average. In 2006, under half of | | | | required to treat a person even if they are unable |
| patients in emergencies were seen within the time | | | | to pay, the bills can run into the hundreds or |
| frame medically recommended for best | | | | thousands of dollars--and some hospitals may hire |
| outcomes (14 minutes); this figure dropped nearly | | | | bill collectors in an attempt to seek payment. |
| ten points from 1997. The delay can result in a | | | | Urgent care clinics, such as the Minute Clinic and |
| greater likelihood of complications. After they | | | | Take Care Clinic, will also alleviate the load on |
| leave the ER, some of the about 50% of | | | | emergency rooms. They treat many minor |
| emergency patients not seen in time may be | | | | medical problems for a flat fee regardless of |
| dealing with side effects that drive up their health | | | | insurance status, and are often open later than |
| insurance plans' premiums, or even give them | | | | doctors' offices. |
| pre-existing conditions that make finding any | | | | Emergency rooms were meant to be a safety |
| health insurance at all more difficult. | | | | net for those in dire straits. After all, it's common |
| The flood of non-urgent patients has also | | | | knowledge that they are unable to deny medical |
| negatively impacted the quality and speed of care | | | | care, which is a glaring exception in the United |
| provided to those with urgent conditions. The | | | | States, where some pre-existing conditions can |
| speed of their treatment has similarly declined. | | | | cause someone to be ineligible to buy a private |
| Unfortunately, such an influx--coinciding with the | | | | health insurance plan. Instead of a last resort, |
| steadily increasing prices of health insurance | | | | they have been taken advantage of by the entire |
| rates--has proven to be a struggle for most | | | | health insurance system, patients and plans alike. |
| American hospitals, even with the best triage | | | | One of the touted benefits of healthcare reform |
| policies. People with urgent, semi-urgent, and | | | | is that of a almost fully-insured public, which would |
| non-urgent conditions can wait hours in the same | | | | serve to reserve the ER for those who need it |
| line. Waiting for such long periods doesn't simply | | | | most. Whether that will come to pass is unknown. |
| cause annoyance; the results can be unhealthy or | | | | (Image: Rosser321 under CC 2. |