Comments on: Healthcare Update — 05-07-2012

By: throckmorton

throckmorton — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:33:37 +0000

There is no EMTALA for Dentists so patients who have tooth problems cant show up and be treated without cost at a dentists office. Instead, they go to the ER where they are seen for the infection and pain but the actual problem, the infected tooth that needs treatment is never taken care of.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:37:46 +0000

Damages are already a necessary element. And we already have a loser pays system in many states. Loser pays doesn’t work in other countries like its advocates believe but it will probably keep a few poor people out of the courthouse, which is what its backers want.

By: Kipper

Kipper — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:23:11 +0000

The debt collector thing just terrifies me. I pay my bills, but I’ve been shaken down a couple of times when I was helpless and alone (for example by an airport porter one Xmas travel season when I was temporarily wheelchair bound). It’s not really an experience I need to have when I’m already scared and possibly in pain.

By: unmoored

unmoored — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:34:55 +0000

My father had lifelong scrip for valium from his dentist, and last time I had my teeth worked on I had to tell them I didn’t want any more hydrocodone. I submit that dentists are overlooked in the addictive drug scene.

By: Debora

Debora — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:38:50 +0000

We definitely need some tort reform. How about a general “no harm, no foul” bit of legislation – an attorney must have an actual client who suffered actual harm (no “might have been” scenarios allowed) in an actual incident…..

“loser pays” has some merit, but if client A only has access to a $500 attorney and client B has 7 $5000 attorneys……there’s no way client A can risk going to court, even if he’s been well and truly wronged. Though, if you make the attorneys put some skin in the game, perhaps in the form of fines that they are not permitted to pass along to the client…that could help.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:21:53 +0000

Yeah, the ED gives out a TON of antibiotics and pain meds for toothaches. I used to work for an endodontist and we had a few frequent flyers who would visit the ED almost every weekend. I don’t know what kind of history they kept, but it wasn’t very good. I cringe to think about all the secondary infections one of our patients must have from thise helpful docs giving out zeepaks like candy.

Also, drinking raw milk is like playing russian roulette. Even if raw milk does somehow help with allergies, hay fever is a small price to pay for keeping your young child from dying a horrible death because of drinking contaminated milk. Those udders are hanging out next to some great sources of dangerous bacteria.