9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas

These 9 cost the taxpayers over 3 million over a 6 year period. That 300 visits per person per year over that period. You are wondering why it takes hours at many ER to be seen its because the system is clogged up with these frequent fliers.

AUSTIN, Texas – Just nine people accounted for nearly 2,700 of the emergency room visits in the Austin area during the past six years at a cost of $3 million to taxpayers and others, according to a report. The patients went to hospital emergency rooms 2,678 times from 2003 through 2008, said the report from the nonprofit Integrated Care Collaboration, a group of health care providers who care for low-income and uninsured patients.

"What we're really trying to do is find out who's using our emergency rooms ... and find solutions," said Ann Kitchen, executive director of the group, which presented the report last week to the Travis County Healthcare District board.

The average emergency room visit costs $1,000. Hospitals and taxpayers paid the bill through government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, Kitchen said.

Eight of the nine patients have drug abuse problems, seven were diagnosed with mental health issues and three were homeless. Five are women whose average age is 40, and four are men whose average age is 50, the report said, the Austin American-Statesman reported Wednesday.
news.yahoo.com...

That's ridiculous. But I suppose the hospitals can't just refuse to see people? I can see that leading to a "boy who cried wolf" scenario and causing some major problems.

The most I've ever been to the hospital in a year was three times. I can't really think of a solution to this, but, that's just... abusing tax dollars much?

reply to post by FredT


That's almost a visit per day per person!

But you'd think that the admissions triage would have picked that up straightaway as some kind of Munchhausens or other similar medical-attention disorder and prescribed a psychological therapy

reply to post by FredT


At the last hospital I worked at, we had a huge problem with people on medicaid coming to the the emergency room for ridiculous things that were not emergencies. They would come in for colds, the flu, any little old thing. I can understand a parent bringing in a baby with a high fever, but they would bring in the entire family to be checked for a cold.

In the state I was in, emergency room visits are unlimited while on medicaid, but visits to a physician were limited to a certain number. Most the time, these people were simply out of Dr. visits.

edit typo





[edit on 1-4-2009 by Blanca Rose]

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
That's ridiculous. But I suppose the hospitals can't just refuse to see people? I can see that leading to a "boy who cried wolf" scenario and causing some major problems.

The most I've ever been to the hospital in a year was three times. I can't really think of a solution to this, but, that's just... abusing tax dollars much?

Not all of that can be considered abuse. I know alot of people who use the ER for non life threatening issues. Most doctors offices will not even see you unless you pay first. Where exactly are these people supposed to get care? Homeless, unemployed, mentally ill, etc have no health insurance and the private clinics and doctors won't see you unless you fork out the cash first!. Would you prefer they just crawl off and suffer in silence?

Eight of the nine patients have drug abuse problems

That was my first thought, when I saw the headline.
Med chasers.
I went to the emergency room last year for a shoulder/nerve issue.
I couldn't even move my arm. But the emergency room Doc, in the interest of time, most likely concluded I was a Med chaser too. Without even looking at my shoulder, he handed me a Valium, and a Vicodin. No x-rays, no mobility test. nothing..The visit cost me 800 dollars AFTER insurance.

reply to post by spacedoubt


What did they charge you/ins. for? He should have gave you some valium for when the bill came too.

reply to post by beezwaxes


The bill was very detailed. it said:
"emergency room visit"

I was an a graduated plan, Each ER visit was covered less and less each time by insurance. the first visit is 100 percent covered, the second is 90 percent covered. Etc.. My wife had a couple of visits earlier in the year.

I'm on a different plan now.

reply to post by citizen smith


Actually, doing the math, each person went once per week.

Frankly, I'm very skeptical about this report. Something tells me it is not true.

I wonder if it is different people using the same name. That sounds like an awful lot to me. Those docs would recongize them after a bit.

reply to post by nixie_nox


That was my precise thought. Or, they failed to scrub the list for common names.

reply to post by loam


I agree that there is something wrong with the math here. Most of these people would have been in the ER a couple of days without being seen if they are chronics and not presenting any symptoms.

There are people who live in the ER because it is the safest place for them to be and it is always open. If they present with a claim of a medical problem they will have to go through the system.

This does present a problem for all concerned but the way it is usually handled does not solve the repetition dilemma. These people need help that can not be found behind the doors of an ER.