I also feel bad for doctors. I saw a 60 minutes article several years ago about a doctor whos dreamed of starting a small family practice in a small town after medical school. He eventually did start that practice and was happy, but then the systems started changing. His overhead increased as the cost of medical malpractice insurance went up and rose steadily as he had to hire more employees to handle paperwork and claims with insurance companies. Eventually he gave up the practice because he had to see so many clients in a day just to make ends meet that he wasn't giving good medical care.

One of the things thats very interesting to me is that Medical insurance companies are for profit entities. Which means, while docs/hospitals cut care trying to make ends meet and the public is being ground down by high prices. Insurance companies continue to rake in large profits. Someday someone will figure out a way to cut out the middle man.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is a non-profit
However the rest of your statement is correct

But it is quite illegal to refuse medical care on a basis of ability to pay.
And you are right, many uninsured people use the emergency room as their primary care physician.
(Some have even used it as a place to get a place to sleep, a warm meal and a TV)
I can give you two examples of hospitals that had to be closed down since the large influx of people without ability to pay caused the hospital to go bankrupt.

So we are paying for the uninsured already. In the form of higher rates.

__________________
Peace Out, Philly!

I feel the need to post a disclaimer at this point.

** Disclaimer**

1) My wife is studying to become a doctor in Emergency Medicine.
2) She is currently interviewing and we are doing extensive background research on ERs
3) I spent two years volunteering as an EMT in a Level 1 Trauma ER and a year in Pastoral Care.


This either makes me:
1) Biased
2) Knowledgable
or
3) Both

Your call

__________________
Peace Out, Philly!

No doctor can refuse care (economic status, race, moral ethical standings or creed)... that is correct.

However, let's look at the rising Emergency Med. Clinics... that are not affiliated with a hospital or educational (non-for-profit)institution... They are dramatically on the Uptick here in NJ... and in some cases are "Limited Insurance" practices. You've Got the sniffles... and you just want to be seen... without the paperwork/referal/or wait... you can "Walk-In" and pay for service and apply to your HMO plan for the money back. If you are uninsured, You make a payment arrangement... but you still get seen by a Doc none-the-less.

Granted, it sounds unethical... And is falling into "Fast-Food-Medicine" concept... but i see no shortage of EmergMed Shop's opening up. (And unfortunately, the persistence of Drug Seeking- Doctor-shoppers seems to be the greatest liability with such places).

Charity Care Hospitals especially those burdened by the glacial pace of Govt paybacks... are at a Breaking point.
That is why you will see, and probably already seeing, the Pvt Corporate Sponsorship... changing the landscape of hospital organizations. For all the economic "Bleeding" incurred by charity care you will now see Hospitals Competing for "well insured paying customer's" with things like Luxury Hotel like suites, Yoga classes, Day-Spas, gourmet meals etc.

I'm Not Kidding... It's Called Boutique HealthCare... and that's what many hospitals are attempting to do to stave off the impending bankruptcy, if no change comes about.

I'd say you are correct.

especially if the governement sticks their hand in it we will have a health system like England's. Bland marginal care for the masses and top-tier care for the people who can afford it.

Funny huh? By covering everyone you will actually decrease the level of care the average person gets.

__________________
Peace Out, Philly!