Saturday, October 6, 2007

The Medicaid Bus

I don't know what it is about getting something for free that makes people want to abuse the system. No patient ever comes to L&D by EMS unless they are taking a free ride. A few days ago, one of the physicians I work with calls over to say they are sending a patient over with a raging case of trich. She wasn't in labor but the doc wanted us to monitor her baby while she was being treated..

The phone is barely hung up from that phone call before it rings again. This time it is EMS calling with an estimated time of arrival for the same patient. This is where I tell you that the doctors office is right across the street. It isn't even a busy street but more like a little side street. It would be an easier walk than getting a crappy spot in the mall parking lot. In addition, she had someone with her with a car, but by the time you walked out to your car and parked again at the hospital it would be easier to just walk. Now, we will all be paying for her "free" minimum of $250 dollar ride through the parking lot.

2 comments:

The Newmans said...

"No patient ever comes to L&D by EMS unless they are taking a free ride."

Actually I was forced to take an ambulance when I was transferred from Cottonwood to LDS three years ago with sudden onset of toxemia & HELLP syndrome. The staff didn't want to risk seizures if I went POV. I paid for that ride!

MV said...

I passed out at work once while pregnant and was taken to L&D in an ambulance (off and on unconscious the entire time).

I also (while not pregnant) was taken by EMS from a doctors office to the hospital not a mile away. Even though I had a ride. The Dr wouldn't allow me to leave unless it was in an EMS vehicle.

I paid for both of these EMS 'trips'.