You WILL comply . . . .

[Sapphire Silk]

Update: Spoke to a very nice lady at Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) that supervises EMTALA compliance in my district.

She gasped when I told her how they tried using a police officer to bully me. She said she'd never heard of such a thing.

Anyway, they're opening an investigation. Apparently, this hospital just got investigated for a complaint . . . now they've got another one. So I don't feel bad about filing this . . . clearly this hospital has issues that need to change.

I'll get the results of the investigation, but she said I probably wouldn't hear anything for a couple of months.

[sstabeler]

I get the feeling that we can guess the results. they'll throw the book at the hospital. ( what IS the maximum penalty for flouting EMTALA?)

[Argus]

( what IS the maximum penalty for flouting EMTALA?)

The authority to impose EMTALA is based on the hospital receiving certain federal funds, such as Medicaid and Medicare. So the only way for an emergency room to say "no" to EMTALA involves the hospital saying "no" to Medicaid and Medicare. There seem to be a few hospitals that had already done that as a matter of policy.

[Sapphire Silk]

I get the feeling that we can guess the results. they'll throw the book at the hospital. ( what IS the maximum penalty for flouting EMTALA?)

A $50,000 fine . . . per occurrence. CMS can also threaten their ability to take Medicare patients . . . which is about 80% of any hospital's income. Usually they get a notice they are not in compliance, and are given time to make an action plan. Once that plan is in place, then they are found to be in compliance.

The authority to impose EMTALA is based on the hospital receiving certain federal funds, such as Medicaid and Medicare. So the only way for an emergency room to say "no" to EMTALA involves the hospital saying "no" to Medicaid and Medicare. There seem to be a few hospitals that had already done that as a matter of policy.

Not quite. EMTALA is a separate statute. Even private hospitals who don't depend on Medicare or Medicaid are bound by EMTALA. That's the purpose of the law, it's the "anti-dumping" law designed to keep private hospitals from dumping critically ill but indigent patients on public or community hospitals to avoid paying for their care.

NO hospital can refuse treatment in the ER based on the ability to pay. They can't even ask you about payment until they've treated you.

They can, however, hound you with bill collectors if you are a dead beat.

[telecom_goddess]

They can, however, hound you with bill collectors if you are a dead beat.

OR if you are not a deadbeat but just can't afford to pay them that last 20 percent after insurance covers stuff. More people go into collections over medical bills because they simply can't afford them.

[Sapphire Silk]

OR if you are not a deadbeat but just can't afford to pay them that last 20 percent after insurance covers stuff. More people go into collections over medical bills because they simply can't afford them.

You're quite right . . . and I beg your pardon. I shouldn't have implied everyone who has trouble paying the bills is a deadbeat. I know better . . . have been there done that myself.

[Dragon_Dreamer]

A hospital near me worked out a payment plan with me when I ended up in the ER with the flu. $1700 for 4 hours stay, including chest x-rays. (I have lung Issues, and had a 104.2 fever.)

I was paying $60 a month for about a year. Then, I get a phone call telling me, "We need you to pay $100/month because other people aren't paying their bills." I was Not Happy. Ended up with them getting investigated for price gouging, as I apparently was not the only complainer.

Seems they were charging people from certain towns more than those from "poorer" towns. My town is known to be full of rich folks (though I and my family are not) so they charged me the higher rates. $1400 of the original bill was forgiven, with $600 returned. So I ended up paying them about $300.

However, it seems they sent me to collections for another $300, *without informing me,* and I never heard from any collections agents, but it showed up on my credit report. Found out about 2 years later, when I had my identity stolen and looked at my reports. A couple phone calls to Experian (the hospital refused to talk to me, same for the "collections agency") and the ding on my credit magically disappeared. :P According to Experian, the hospital nor the "agency" could not explain how I owed them money when they'd sent me a large check in "overpayment."

I hate dishonest hospitals. We don't use that one anymore.

[surreal20]

So my question is, are you able to ask them about how the investigation went? I'm curious.

[Sapphire Silk]

So my question is, are you able to ask them about how the investigation went? I'm curious.

They told me they would contact me with the conclusions of the investigation, and that it would take about two months. I've kept the number and name of the lady I talked to and will call back.

[georgie]

i'd love to hear the outcome of this too.

you go to a hospital for a sprained ankle and end up getting threatened with a policeman. that seems utterly bizarre

[EricKei]

And was a cop doing in there bothering you? None of that was his business and had nothing to do with anything. That doesn't even make any sense.

Methinks that Nate hit it on the head:

The cop might have been there for something entirely unrelated.

...Either that, or they lied to Dispatch, claiming (falsely) that you were causing some sort of trouble and/or were making threats or being violent -- in other words, things which WOULD justify Police presence. My guess is that, when you made it clear that you were happy to cooperate (with the cop) once you knew who he really was, he probably started looking a the intake workers with a skepitcal eye, rather than you.

Get better!

[Sapphire Silk]

Methinks that Nate hit it on the head:

...Either that, or they lied to Dispatch, claiming (falsely) that you were causing some sort of trouble and/or were making threats or being violent -- in other words, things which WOULD justify Police presence. My guess is that, when you made it clear that you were happy to cooperate (with the cop) once you knew who he really was, he probably started looking a the intake workers with a skepitcal eye, rather than you.

Get better!

Quite possibly. I suppose I'll find out when the investigation is completed.

I'm doing a lot better. I'm done with the crutches and the cane, doing my rehab exercises. Planning to start Tae Kwon Do again on Wednesday . . . the 3 week mark of the original injury. It's still a touch sore, but the swelling is for all intensive purposes gone. An ankle wrap while I'm working out and I should be fine.

[Geek King]

Planning to start Tae Kwon Do again on Wednesday . . . the 3 week mark of the original injury. It's still a touch sore, but the swelling is for all intensive purposes gone. An ankle wrap while I'm working out and I should be fine.

Be really careful. I saw too many people re-injure themselves when I was doing the martial arts thing by pushing themselves back into their old routine too fast. Make sure your teachers are aware of the nature of your injury so they can plan on how hard they can push you safely.

Glad to hear you're doing better, though.

[Sapphire Silk]

Be really careful. I saw too many people re-injure themselves when I was doing the martial arts thing by pushing themselves back into their old routine too fast. Make sure your teachers are aware of the nature of your injury so they can plan on how hard they can push you safely.

Glad to hear you're doing better, though.

Thanks I actually went down to the school yesterday and talked to one of the instructors about my ankle. She agrees I'll need to be careful, but that as long as I continue my strengthening exercises, and don't push myself too hard I should be fine. That's one of the things I like about this school . . . they do push us to exceed normal limits so we improve, but they also tell us to listen to our bodies . . . especially the older adults. We actually have several students who are in their 70's

[Seshat]

That's good.

My physiotherapists (pain specialist physios) gave us a 20% rule. If you can do a full week of exercise-routine-X without exceeding your body's limits, next week you can increase it by 20%.
If you can't, drop it by 20%.

For some patients, of course, you need to make that 'two weeks before increasing', or 'a month before increasing', depending on their particular fragility. But the rule of thumb works.

Once you get to where you want to be, stop increasing. Stay on that exercise routine - that's your maintenance level.