The GOP's Emergency Room Argument Lives

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'd hoped we would hear the argument much less after the Affordable Care Act became law, but the notion that the uninsured can just rely on emergency rooms hasn't gone away quite yet. Here, for example, was Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell ® on Fox News the other day:

"The fact is a lot of people that don't have insurance are getting [care] right now. They're not denied in the emergency rooms. They're generally not denied by doctors. It's not a pretty system, but the idea that people are not getting health care particularly for critical needs is just -- is just not the case."

This is strikingly wrong. For one thing, doctors in private practice nationwide tend to take on patients with insurance. For another, all McDonnell has to do is spend a few minutes at a free clinic someday to realize all kinds of families in need go without much-needed care every day, in Virginia and elsewhere.

But it's that darn emergency-room argument that needs the most help.

Let's set the record straight. It's true that under the previous system -- before the Affordable Care Act passed -- if you're uninsured and get sick, there are public hospitals that will treat you. But it's extremely expensive to treat patients this way, and it would be far cheaper, and more medically effective, to pay for preventative care so that people don't have to wait for a medical emergency to seek treatment.

For that matter, when sick people with no insurance go to the E.R. for care, they often can't pay their bills. Since hospitals can't treat sick patients for free, the costs are passed on to everyone else.

In other words, it's the most inefficient system of socialized medicine ever devised.

And yet, Republicans keep praising it. McDonnell was repeating this talking point over the weekend, but he's hardly alone. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was touting it late last year, and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) was thinking along the same lines a month prior. In July '09, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked about the 47 million Americans who go without health insurance, McConnell replied, "Well, they don't go without health care," because they can just go to the emergency room.

In 2008, the conservative who shaped John McCain's health care policy said anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance. The year before, Tom DeLay argued, "[N]o American is denied health care in America," because everyone can go to the emergency room. Around the same time, George W. Bush said the same thing: "[P]eople have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." In 2004, then-HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said our healthcare system "could be defined as universal coverage," because of emergency rooms.

It's a dumb argument. That it's been a staple of Republican rhetoric for so long only adds insult to injury.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

[Pooky 3,828]

I'd hoped we would hear the argument much less after the Affordable Care Act became law, but the notion that the uninsured can just rely on emergency rooms hasn't gone away quite yet. Here, for example, was Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell ® on Fox News the other day:

"The fact is a lot of people that don't have insurance are getting [care] right now. They're not denied in the emergency rooms. They're generally not denied by doctors. It's not a pretty system, but the idea that people are not getting health care particularly for critical needs is just -- is just not the case."

This is strikingly wrong. For one thing, doctors in private practice nationwide tend to take on patients with insurance. For another, all McDonnell has to do is spend a few minutes at a free clinic someday to realize all kinds of families in need go without much-needed care every day, in Virginia and elsewhere.

But it's that darn emergency-room argument that needs the most help.

Let's set the record straight. It's true that under the previous system -- before the Affordable Care Act passed -- if you're uninsured and get sick, there are public hospitals that will treat you. But it's extremely expensive to treat patients this way, and it would be far cheaper, and more medically effective, to pay for preventative care so that people don't have to wait for a medical emergency to seek treatment.

For that matter, when sick people with no insurance go to the E.R. for care, they often can't pay their bills. Since hospitals can't treat sick patients for free, the costs are passed on to everyone else.

In other words, it's the most inefficient system of socialized medicine ever devised.

And yet, Republicans keep praising it. McDonnell was repeating this talking point over the weekend, but he's hardly alone. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was touting it late last year, and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) was thinking along the same lines a month prior. In July '09, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked about the 47 million Americans who go without health insurance, McConnell replied, "Well, they don't go without health care," because they can just go to the emergency room.

In 2008, the conservative who shaped John McCain's health care policy said anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance. The year before, Tom DeLay argued, "[N]o American is denied health care in America," because everyone can go to the emergency room. Around the same time, George W. Bush said the same thing: "[P]eople have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." In 2004, then-HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said our healthcare system "could be defined as universal coverage," because of emergency rooms.

It's a dumb argument. That it's been a staple of Republican rhetoric for so long only adds insult to injury.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

And the Affordable Care Act forces the public to pay private industry for socialised health insurance, where anywhere upto 20% is siphoned from the system to pay for an inherent inefficiency in the "system."

Dumb doesn't quite describe it.

Edited December 22, 2010 by Pooky

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I love articles that contradict themselves.... It's too funny.

[james&olya 1,121]

I'd hoped we would hear the argument much less after the Affordable Care Act became law, but the notion that the uninsured can just rely on emergency rooms hasn't gone away quite yet. Here, for example, was Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell ® on Fox News the other day:

"The fact is a lot of people that don't have insurance are getting [care] right now. They're not denied in the emergency rooms. They're generally not denied by doctors. It's not a pretty system, but the idea that people are not getting health care particularly for critical needs is just -- is just not the case."

This is strikingly wrong. For one thing, doctors in private practice nationwide tend to take on patients with insurance. For another, all McDonnell has to do is spend a few minutes at a free clinic someday to realize all kinds of families in need go without much-needed care every day, in Virginia and elsewhere.

But it's that darn emergency-room argument that needs the most help.

Let's set the record straight. It's true that under the previous system -- before the Affordable Care Act passed -- if you're uninsured and get sick, there are public hospitals that will treat you. But it's extremely expensive to treat patients this way, and it would be far cheaper, and more medically effective, to pay for preventative care so that people don't have to wait for a medical emergency to seek treatment.

For that matter, when sick people with no insurance go to the E.R. for care, they often can't pay their bills. Since hospitals can't treat sick patients for free, the costs are passed on to everyone else.

In other words, it's the most inefficient system of socialized medicine ever devised.

And yet, Republicans keep praising it. McDonnell was repeating this talking point over the weekend, but he's hardly alone. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was touting it late last year, and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) was thinking along the same lines a month prior. In July '09, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked about the 47 million Americans who go without health insurance, McConnell replied, "Well, they don't go without health care," because they can just go to the emergency room.

In 2008, the conservative who shaped John McCain's health care policy said anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance. The year before, Tom DeLay argued, "[N]o American is denied health care in America," because everyone can go to the emergency room. Around the same time, George W. Bush said the same thing: "[P]eople have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." In 2004, then-HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said our healthcare system "could be defined as universal coverage," because of emergency rooms.

It's a dumb argument. That it's been a staple of Republican rhetoric for so long only adds insult to injury.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

At the risk of divulging more of my bio than I really want I would like to add to this post. All of this is true but it isn't the half of it! Emergency rooms are obligated to see all who present if they accept any form of federal funding which, of course all do under medicare, etc. The Emergency and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires that all patients are entitled to a screening exam and all treatment needed to stabilize their condition. However, once the condition is 'stabilized', the hospital is free to refuse any further care. So the diabetic or the epileptic may not get the ongoing medications they need to prevent recurrence of their problems. So it is a fallacy to say that the emergency rooms of this country provide a form of health insurance for those without other insurance. These politicians know this and are cynically and callously perpetuating a myth that serves their own selfish interests.

There is a much bigger problem looming. Many emergency rooms are on very precarious footing already due to the very high percentage of 'unreimbursed care' that they now provide. Any further cutbacks in reimbursement will cause failures of hospitals now serving the indigent and working poor. As these hospitals are shuttered their patients will overwhelm the other remaining hospitals nearby till they fail also, till there is nowhere to go for many. The orgy of tax-cuts being demanded by the right-wingers are surely going to 'starve the beast' as so many of them used to say. It won't be pretty. Whether or not the tea-partiers get their way and get rid of 'Obamacare', the current budget deficits will soon catch up and force some drastic cutting. Is this really the kind of country and society you want to live in?

[Ban Hammer 13,519]

Let's set the record straight. It's true that under the previous system -- before the Affordable Care Act passed -- if you're uninsured and get sick, there are public hospitals that will treat you. But it's extremely expensive to treat patients this way, and it would be far cheaper, and more medically effective, to pay for preventative care so that people don't have to wait for a medical emergency to seek treatment.

and now that this affordable care act has passed, what do the uninsured do?

[james&olya 1,121]

and now that this affordable care act has passed, what do the uninsured do?

The whole point of the program is to greatly reduce the number of uninsured! I was disappointed that 'medicare-for-all' never got serious consideration. In the end none of these other programs will work. They are at best a band-aid and at worst a huge give-away of taxpayer dollars to private interests. Still, I hope that they can provide some interim help for many who need it till the political pressure is there to do what should have been done long ago!

[lostinblue 1,989]

and now that this affordable care act has passed, what do the uninsured do?

They can get a government job within the health care field as an IRS agent.Everyone will need a health tax audit

[james&olya 1,121]

They can get a government job within the health care field as an IRS agent.Everyone will need a health tax audit

While I think your criticism has little basis I do agree that the system is inefficient and unwieldy! Single payer is the way to go. It will have problems also, but medicare and the VA have worked well in many ways. Combining the best of these systems and continuing to fine-tune the system could solve a lot of problems. The reason it won't happen without a huge battle is that there is too much money being made by certain private interests now and they will kick and scream before they will give up their privileged position on the government teat.

[Pooky 3,828]

They are at best a band-aid and at worst a huge give-away of taxpayer dollars to private interests.

And a government-mandated give-away at that.

What we have been handed by this administration is the worst of all worlds, which is everyone having to pay into the main inefficiency in the healthcare system - the insurance companies.