As we wait for a new Secretary of Health and Human services (HHS), following Tom Daschle’s abrupt withdrawal from the post, I realized that though the United State’s health care system is severely broken, at least we don’t get denied emergency care.  In an Associated Press health news report on Yahoo, I quote, “More than 14,000 emergency patients were rejected at least three times by Japanese hospitals before (more…)

Emergency physicians are forced to see every patient, and thus, are at the mercy of cutbacks in California’s Medi-Cal reimbursements.

Often times, they are paid at half the cost of treatment. With well-publicized stories of patients dying in the waiting rooms, or while waiting to see a physician, doctors are responding by suing the state for $100 million because additional funding is needed to maintain patient safety. This is more symbolic (more…)

Given the financial trouble many ERs and hospitals are facing, concierge emergency care may be on the horizon.

Richard Winters (via GruntDoc) imagines such as scenario, which for a fee, patients receive private rooms, couches and chairs for family, private telephones and internet service, flat-screen television, and events to meet the hospital administration and physicians.

As long as every cent continues to be squeezed out of (more…)