First Private ER Opens in Canada

[Angel]

Originally posted by blonddgirl777
Holly shit woman!
Sorry to hear that...
You are one unlucky Kanuck (but lucky to be here)!

No, I'm not unlucky, I'm fortunate that a fellow Canuck invented the pacemaker. :D
Pacemaker's always need replacing, as well as leads... I expect I'll need another one in 2008.

As for ER abusers.... THEY are the main reason why our health care is in trouble.....

[blonddgirl777]

Originally posted by Angel
No, I'm not unlucky, I'm fortunate that a fellow Canuck invented the pacemaker. :D
Pacemaker's always need replacing, as well as leads... I expect I'll need another one in 2008...

Now THAT's the spirit!
And to say that some people complain when having a cold...

I didn't know that Canadians invented the pacemaker?

I heard yesterday that (another Kanuck) just invented the Artificial Heart...
It is a mechanical heart that replaces the real thing but the batteries still have to be replaced every 3-4 hours... They are still working on that problem...

The patient was an "experiment" and very happy to have it because he wouldn't be alive today.

The heart will have to be replaced in 10 years and since the man is no millionnaire, HE also IS... one lucky Kanuck to be here!

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Having coverage from the government for select groups is not socialized medicine. It's given to those [people 65 years of age and older, some disabled people under 65 years of age, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant)] whose treatment would be extremely expensive. I guess it's just a matter of semantics.

Anyhow, the national government was never intended to provide fire or police protection, only national defense. Fire and Police protection is a local issue.

Really? Where does it exactly say that? That's an extremist interpretation actually...

And what if the military needs firefighters? What about military police? CID? Or the FBI?

That being said, I do believe everyone is entitled to health coverage, but not everyone should be covered by the government. Laws should be made that companies should provide health coverage if they employ so many people, take in so much revenue, etc.

Health coverage provided by the government should go only to those without employer mandated insurance and with strict limits. I had my kid in a Military Treatment Faciity ER with a 103 temp a month or so back. He was seen right away (ear infection) because sick children (over a 101 temp) have priority. On the other hand, the ER waiting room was filled to capacity with people that had no other complaint except minor cold symptoms. They go to the military facility because they are entitled to.

We don't want that in all of our clinics and hospitals...people showing up with minor symptoms just because they can. It would bankrupt us all paying for that.

I'd like to see actual proof that people go to hospitals anymore for minor colds under a gov't mandated health insurance program than they do when they are fortunate enough to have employer provided health insurance.

BTW Brian, I've been in Buffalo's pristine VA Hospital and have not noticed guys there for just "minor colds" anymore than any other ER I've ever been in.

I have seen plenty of aging veterans dying of cancer though...

And isn't the idiot mother that demands antibiotics for viral infections such as colds as a much a problem under our system as it is any others?

[WACF]

Originally posted by Angel

As for ER abusers.... THEY are the main reason why our health care is in trouble.....

Yes...very true.

What is a good solution?

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Really? Where does it exactly say that? That's an extremist interpretation actually...

No, it's not. It is fact.

And what if the military needs firefighters? What about military police? CID? Or the FBI?

I think that comes under the heading of national defense. Military Police and firefighters have cognizance on military bases only. That would be national defense.

The FBI is another matter. There is no constitutional statute requiring it.

I'd like to see actual proof that people go to hospitals anymore for minor colds under a gov't mandated health insurance program than they do when they are fortunate enough to have employer provided health insurance.

I think our Canadian friends have nicely answered that one.

BTW Brian, I've been in Buffalo's pristine VA Hospital and have not noticed guys there for just "minor colds" anymore than any other ER I've ever been in.

I have seen plenty of aging veterans dying of cancer though...

The VA only handles cases directly related to military service.

And isn't the idiot mother that demands antibiotics for viral infections such as colds as a much a problem under our system as it is any others?

True enough. The clinics I go to will refuse to prescribe antibiotics unless infection is actually present. Some doctors and facilities, however, will still do so because they are afraid they will lose patients. I think you'll see that less and less in the next few years.

[blonddgirl777]

Originally posted by WACF
Yes...very true.

What is a good solution?

"Moderating Tickets" or a small fee (to be paid by the citizen) at the E.R....

[blonddgirl777]

[i]... I think our Canadian friends have nicely answered that one...[/B]

I am not making that up (and I'm sure that the other Kanucks here are not either)...

I don't hang out at the E.R. but the times I've been, I saw some people that where almost "partying" in there!

The doctors, nurses and volunteers that work at the E.R.'s are publically denouncing that problem...
Some people actually LIKE being there;
Some need the attention, some are hypochondriacs, some are just the kinds that pretend to always suffer more that they actually do...

There is all kinds of people and some like to just take advantage of something they assume to be "free"!

And the ones that you would think might be good candidates for that,(like homeless people in search of a roof
at -35 degrees) are not the ones seen there... they actually don't eaven use our system, eaven less abuse of it!

[WACF]

Originally posted by blonddgirl777
"Moderating Tickets" or a small fee (to be paid by the citizen) at the E.R....

Yes...I can see that happening.

Here is what will happen though.

It has already been determined that low income people are the biggest abusers of ERs.
Low income people will never have to pay a user fee...you and I will pay it though.

That is the problem with a socialist approach...the middle class will pay for the lower class in situations like this....with no accountability on abuse.

Something needs to be done though.

[blonddgirl777]

Originally posted by WACF
Yes...I can see that happening.

Here is what will happen though.

It has already been determined that low income people are the biggest abusers of ERs.
Low income people will never have to pay a user fee...you and I will pay it though.

That is the problem with a socialist approach...the middle class will pay for the lower class in situations like this....with no accountability on abuse.

Something needs to be done though.

I think that the low income are not the abusers either... I think it's the "free tagers" that are already used to be abusive (of every programs) that fuck things up... mostly by refusing to contribute!

[WACF]

You know...refusing to contribute is perhaps an option users should not have.

It is a tough one though...the people doing well do have an obligation of sorts to help those that are in need.

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
No, it's not. It is fact.

Yes, it is a fact that you're an extremist that "cherrypicks" what the federal gov't should fund and what it should not fund. Yet you present no verifiable arguments nor criteria as to why the gov't should fund the Pentagon, but not education. But instead rely on a series of radical, mythical reinterpretations of the nature of the Constitution based on the "kook" theories of one Joseph Epstein. A New Times artticle on his extremist views and how they relate to arch-conservative justices can be read here...

It's called Constitution in Exile "movement."

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/7/8/215738/7751

http://volokh.com/posts/1113766638.shtml

I think that comes under the heading of national defense. Military Police and firefighters have cognizance on military bases only. That would be national defense.

And the Constitution also says you can only own guns if you're in the Nat'l Guard too...

The FBI is another matter. There is no constitutional statute requiring it.

There's also no Constitutional statute against the FBI either, as long as they do not violate the laws of the land...

I think our Canadian friends have nicely answered that one.

Really? Many have also stated the positives of universal health care, and yet you cherrypick the situation in Quebec, when in fact that is the worst province in the deliverance of health care, when if fact most provinces have no such crisis.

Besides, the Canadian health care system is not necessarily the model for universal health care...

The VA only handles cases directly related to military service.

Wrong! They provide health care to ALL veterans.

I've had health care provided by them while I was in college, and none of it was "service connected."

I'd think you'd know that with the claims you made here...

True enough. The clinics I go to will refuse to prescribe antibiotics unless infection is actually present. Some doctors and facilities, however, will still do so because they are afraid they will lose patients. I think you'll see that less and less in the next few years.

So, you admit that health care in this country is fukked up?

[Angel]

Originally posted by WACF
Yes...very true.

What is a good solution?

Who the hell knows? Possibly ER's should be able to turn patients away and tell them.... "this is not an emergency, go to a walk-in clinic".

Last time I was in the ER, I was in and out in under 2 hours. Some guy with a sore toe bitched that he had been there 8 already, and he should have gone in before me...

I told him that if he had been there that long, obviously the triage nurses had determined it wasn't an emergency. Mine was, as I had an allergic reaction, and my blood pressure was dropping, as well as my airways were closing. The nurse agreed with me. I was in one of the countries busiest ER rooms... the way I see it, if you're there for that long, you don't need ER...I've NEVER had a wait that long in ER... probably because when I go, it's a genuine emergency!

I recently had someone ask me if I went to the doctor when I mentioned I thought I might be coming down with a cold... blew my mind! I have NEVER been to a doctor for a cold or flu, waste of their time and mine...

Canadians need to stop thinking that we have "free" healthcare. We pay for it through our taxes, etc. They need to find a way to "punish" the abusers....

[blonddgirl777]

Originally posted by Angel
... I told him that if he had been there that long, obviously the triage nurses had determined it wasn't an emergency...

Then, you hear people bitchin', screamin', and throwing fits right and left...

They complain out loud about the E.R. staff, they are too stupid and arrogant to realize that those people are swamped and overloaded with work and of course... they are doing their best (with little time and sometimes, poor conditions).

If you walk in there holding your left arm, you will (here too) be treated immidiately but it's those sore toes and "might be coming down with a flue" ones that are abusing! Although directing them to a wakk-in clinic will solve the crowded E.R.'s situation, it will still be costly (especially if that person could have just gone to a pharmacist and solve his problem himself)...

The time I waited 6 hours (pregnant, bleeding "there", sitting on the floor) was because I didn't know that my case had been considered "not urgent"...

I really thought it was. In reallity, there is nothing anyone can do, if a 2 months ambrio decides he wants to drop and 40% of pregnancies end up in misscariages within the forst 3 months anyway.

But my husband and I where desperate, I wanted to die and we really thought they could save our baby... but fortunately, baby saved himself and hopefully, he will always be that strong so he won't need to visit the E.R. too often...

[blonddgirl777]

Happy B-Day Angel!

Health, happiness and all the good stuff to ya!

[blonddgirl777]