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And that is indeed, the goal--Urgent Care unless you are actually having a heart attack or some such (or it's after hours). Emergency room is just that--for Em
by kom107 11y ago
And that is indeed, the goal--Urgent Care unless you are actually having a heart attack or some such (or it's after hours). Emergency room is just that--for Emergencies.
It's going to take a massive public education campaign for this to switch--with the passage of EMTALA back in the 80s, people started treating the EDs as their PCPs, and somehow 'Emergency' became synonymous with 'Fast' care. I don't forsee the government undertaking this, nor do I see the payers (insurance companies) undertaking this, and providers don't necessarily have the time. This also assumes the public is receptive to this kind of education.
The healthcare delivery system is incredibly ripe for disruption.
- mikeash 11y agoWhy wouldn't the insurance companies do it? Surely getting more of their customers into urgent care instead of ERs would reduce their costs.
- bigchewy 11y agowhy would the insurance companies want that? Lower costs means lower revenue over the long term. Given that they are effectively capped at a maximum profit margin, they can't make up for this with increased profitability. It's part of why healthcare operates so differently from everytihng else.