The Health Care Reform-Part 1

When I reviewed the White House's Q&A segment on health care, it didn't take me long to become enraged. A statement is made that with this health care reform they will be able to 'rein in the worst insurance company abuses'. That's rich coming from the US Government.

I work as an ER nurse. I deal with patients who are part of our Medicaid and Medicare system. Obviously the government doesn't know the definition of abuse or they would try to control it in their own 'run' health care systems. I have seen patients who participate in these programs come in for the following:

1. A female presents with a complaint of nausea and abdominal pain. The patient states that she thinks she might be pregnant. She knew exactly which key phrases to use to get herself a bed. When she arrives in my room, however, her story changes. She tells me that she really only wants a pregnancy test. When I ask her if she tried taking a test from the drug store, she tells me that she doesn't trust 'those tests'. I again confirm with her that she is only there for a pregnancy test, she smiles and says, 'well yes, there's really nothing else wrong'. So she wastes an ER bed and taxpayer money because she won't go to the dollar store for a pregnancy test.

2. Parents come to the ER with their child who has a fever. The child has had a fever all day. When asked if they treated the child's fever with motrin or tylenol, the parents answer, 'no', they can't afford it. Note that these were the same parents who were out smoking prior to coming into the Triage room. Oh okay, so they can't afford medication for their sick child, but they can afford cigarettes, AND a blackberry cell phone. They state the reason for their visit is to get a prescription for motrin or tylenol. Now for my friends who do not understand why they would need a prescription for an over the counter medication, let me explain. The reason is that with a prescription, we the people will be paying for their medication. Yes, that's the way it works...if they have a script, our wonderful government, through our hard earned tax dollars, will buy their motrin so they can keep buying their cigarettes and paying for a phone that I myself can't (or won't) afford.

I will only include two examples...partly because they replicate themselves ten fold over the years...and partly because I do not want to cause you, my readers, to have an aneurysm from the details. These stories are true and the names have been excluded to protect HIPPA privacy. I cannot invent system abuse such as these for I do not possess the guile that is necessary to perpetrate such heinous acts.

All this to say that I scoff at the US government for thinking that it is the insurance companies who alone tolerate abuse. These examples are at one small hospital in the middle of Ohio, but they are replicated all over the country...how many tens of thousands of dollars are being wasted because of visits such as these? And it will get worse because now EVERYONE has coverage. Wake up America!