Re: Health care [was Sources of Innovation]

Posted by Douglas Roberts-2 on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Sources-of-Innovation-tp4566136p4581001.html

Again, apologies to all for my cranky outburst yesterday.

I suppose I teed off on the broad nature of the question: 

"...what happens if an uninsured person suddenly needs massive medical treatment to avoid death or crippling consequences...."

Given that out the the 350 million US population there are many millions of people who fit that definition, there are numerous answers to the question.  There is no single policy that defines how to handle a sick, uninsured person.  One of but many of the huge gaping flaws in our society.  Which naturally is a reflection on but one of the huge gaping flaws in our own collective character.

--Doug

On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 8:49 AM, John Kennison <[hidden email]> wrote:

Thanks Owen and Eric for giving me a simple answer to my simple question. Thanks also to Doug for the reassuring private email he sent me.  I do have a question for Doug: I don't see how the facts that you list pertain to my question of how uninsured people are treated when they suddenly need medical help. The facts that lots of people get poor health care, or even that the question is naive don't really give me the information I asked for.



________________________________________
From: [hidden email] [[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Owen Densmore [[hidden email]]
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 5:36 PM

To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group

Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Health care [was Sources of Innovation]

On Feb 15, 2010, at 11:15 AM, John Kennison wrote:
> I was thinking about what Eric said and realized that I don't know
> what happens if an uninsured person suddenly needs massive medical
> treatment to avoid death or crippling consequences. If he can't pay,
> do we just let him suffer the consequences? At this point, I just
> want to find out what the current practice is. The question of what
> we should do is another matter.

I believe all emergency rooms are required to provide care, whether
the person is insured or not.  I've been in the emergency room every
year with family members needing care and they always are clear that
payment and/or insurance is not mandatory.

Also, NM, and most states, provide insurance for those who cannot
afford it.  I forget the name it goes under, but my son Gil is insured
with it.

   -- Owen


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