Ways the Uninsured Die

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/ways-the-uninsured-die/

October 15, 2012, 5:32 am122 Comments

¶A physician writes:

¶It’s true that EMTALA [the 1986 law requiring that emergency rooms treat you regardless of insurance status] requires a medical screening exam and stabilization of any emergency medical conditions. It does not, however, mandate admission to the hospital for treatment of conditions that are not currently emergent (e.g. cancer, kidney disease, and other more chronic conditions except related to certain complications). For example, if someone were to present to one of our emergency departments with some mild bloating and be found to have an abdominal mass, they may very well be discharged home for outpatient follow-up and treatment. If that person doesn’t have insurance, they will likely have difficulty obtaining that care.

¶I agree with your example of someone delaying care because they are uninsured (it happens with regularity), but thought another avenue to describe how uninsured people could die despite emergency care being mandated by EMTALA would be informative.

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My comment:
When I worked in Huntsville, Alabama some years ago, I learned that if someone who could not pay went to the public hospital with something like the early stages of cancer, they were not treated because it wasn't an emergency. When it got to the emergency stage, they were not treated because it was too late to do anything for them.