Swine flu

Morcheeba said:
It's mostly the media 'coverage' and exposure that riles the populace into panic mode.

There's a large portion of the general populace that don't buy into it, perfect example, some of the peeps in the thread.

I wouldn't go as far as to call the people that are a bit panicked stupid. Maybe a bit irrational, easily swayed.. that's not to say it's stupidity that drives them to make the decision to see thedoctor . It's a pretty rational decision. People over-react, and when you're not a doctor and think you show symptoms, as minor as they may be.. people panic. It's pretty natural actually.

Media is a bad drug enhancing peoples already worried state.
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Bolded that part. From what I just read in my last post people were clogging up the EMERGENCY ROOMS to get checked for swine flu. A doctor is easier to get to and as a bonus you get easier access to the hospital if it really is that bad because he/she can help with paperwork. And yes. I do think it is stupid to hamper people who are actually dying and need care to check stuff out because you sneezed once.

Another reason why it would be a bad idea is that you're going into a place full of sick people and if you did have such a deadly disease you're about to infect a bunch of people with immune systems that dont need the extra workload. Then you have to deal with one of the other people in there actually having a case of the contagion so you probably just infected yourself if its as bad as you think it is.
 
Khajit said:
Bolded that part. From what I just read in my last post people were clogging up the EMERGENCY ROOMS to get checked for swine flu. A doctor is easier to get to and as a bonus you get easier access to the hospital if it really is that bad because he/she can help with paperwork. And yes. I do think it is stupid to hamper people who are actually dying and need care to check stuff out because you sneezed once.

Another reason why it would be a bad idea is that you're going into a place full of sick people and if you did have such a deadly disease you're about to infect a bunch of people with immune systems that dont need the extra workload. Then you have to deal with one of the other people in there actually having a case of the contagion so you probably just infected yourself if its as bad as you think it is.
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I couldn't agree more. One thing Zeph didn't mention, is our Emergency rooms here are ALWAYS full of the hypochondriacs and over-zealous mothers of young children taken full advantage of our free health care.

There are people here that just don't use their common sense, as for everywhere. Doctors offices, well it's a little more difficult to get to them, appointments are required and most of the time it's a 4-5 days wait. At least with my doctors office. I have only gone to Emerg for Emergencies, naturally. Stitches just aren't something I can do myself >.>

As far as doctors cashing in, they don't here unless they work for a walk-in clinic, those doctors get paid per a prescription wrote. Otherwise Doctors get their base salary from OHIP.
 
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Morcheeba said:
I couldn't agree more. One thing Zeph didn't mention, is our Emergency rooms here are ALWAYS full of the hypochondriacs and over-zealous mothers of young children taken full advantage of our free health care.

There are people here that just don't use their common sense, as for everywhere. Doctors offices, well it's a little more difficult to get to them, appointments are required and most of the time it's a 4-5 days wait. At least with my doctors office. I have only gone to Emerg for Emergencies, naturally. Stitches just aren't something I can do myself >.>

As far as doctors cashing in, they don't here unless they work for a walk-in clinic, those doctors get paid per a prescription wrote. Otherwise Doctors get their base salary from OHIP.
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If you go to the ER with suspected swine flu only to find there is nothing at all wrong with you in the states, your insurance generally will not cover it because it will be classified as non-emergent. You'll get billed pretty much the full amount from the facility and the doctor you saw with no insurance to help out. There are quite a few people in the states doing it and then get all pissed that their insurance won't cover it.
 
Linhjah said:
If you go to the ER with suspected swine flu only to find there is nothing at all wrong with you in the states, your insurance generally will not cover it because it will be classified as non-emergent. You'll get billed pretty much the full amount from the facility and the doctor you saw with no insurance to help out. There are quite a few people in the states doing it and then get all pissed that their insurance won't cover it.
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I have to ask does a large number of the population know this is the possible outcome of a trip to the ER?

If so, I would be more inclined to say HOPEFULLY most of those people aren't being stupid. What I mean is, they really did feel what they thought to be valid symptoms. Also, I have to say if that's the case I would hate to be in the states right now lol.
 
Morcheeba said:
I have to ask does a large number of the population know this is the possible outcome of a trip to the ER?

If so, I would be more inclined to say HOPEFULLY most of those people aren't being stupid. What I mean is, they really did feel what they thought to be valid symptoms. Also, I have to say if that's the case I would hate to be in the states right now lol.
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These people have had the opportunity to inform themselves, though many of them choose not to. Hardly anyone reads everything they sign themselves up for, and there can be a lot of paperwork associated with an insurance policy.
 
Linhjah said:
These people have had the opportunity to inform themselves, though many of them choose not to. Hardly anyone reads everything they sign themselves up for, and there can be a lot of paperwork associated with an insurance policy.
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>.> Didn't really mean about the policies themselves Linh.

Unless of course there's usually a line stating that diagnosed false alarms from media fueled pandemics are not covered lol.

Honestly, I don't know jack about US insurance coverage. I was kinda leaning to wards 'in general', taking the precaution but knowing if it did turn out to be a false alarm they're to expect a hefty bill.
 
Three times yesterday I worked I coughed really hard, and got very funny looks. People are pretty dumb.
 
Linhjah said:
If you go to the ER with suspected swine flu only to find there is nothing at all wrong with you in the states, your insurance generally will not cover it because it will be classified as non-emergent. You'll get billed pretty much the full amount from the facility and the doctor you saw with no insurance to help out. There are quite a few people in the states doing it and then get all pissed that their insurance won't cover it.
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What kind of health insurance does that? I pay a flat copay for ER visits unless I'm admitted. I've have Blue Cross, Aetna, and Cigna PPOs and HMOs. The copay can range from $50 to $200, but I've never heard of insurance refusing to pay anything before. Maybe Kaiser Permanente? I don't know, but I'd be pretty upset if I went to the ER and got a bill stating my insurance refused to cover it..
 
Arianelle said:
What kind of health insurance does that? I pay a flat copay for ER visits unless I'm admitted. I've have Blue Cross, Aetna, and Cigna PPOs and HMOs. The copay can range from $50 to $200, but I've never heard of insurance refusing to pay anything before. Maybe Kaiser Permanente? I don't know, but I'd be pretty upset if I went to the ER and got a bill stating my insurance refused to cover it..
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Any of the insurances you've listed will do that, even Medicaid will do that. If you go to the emergency room for no reason at all (and I mean no symptoms, either), why should your insurance company shell out hundreds? Its not their fault you couldn't have waited a day or two to go to your primary care physician to have them tell you that nothing is wrong with you.

Your insurance company also has a list of procedure codes they will not pay out on because they're considered non-emergent or not part of your plan. Most things "normal people" go to the ER for should be no issue (broke your arm, heart attack, even a legitimate upper respiratory infection).

The ER is the most expensive place you can go to seek medical treatment. You get a bill from the facility, from the doctor, from the ambulance, from radiology, etc. The trip is thousands of dollars overall the majority of the time.
 
Linhjah said:
Any of the insurances you've listed will do that, even Medicaid will do that. If you go to the emergency room for no reason at all (and I mean no symptoms, either), why should your insurance company shell out hundreds? Its not their fault you couldn't have waited a day or two to go to your primary care physician to have them tell you that nothing is wrong with you.
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But what about those individuals who did have slight symptoms, enough so to worry them? If it ends up being a false alarm do they get shafted?
 
Morcheeba said:
But what about those individuals who did have slight symptoms, enough so to worry them? If it ends up being a false alarm do they get shafted?
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Depends on the symptom and the insurance company.
 
If someone goes in with a sore throat or vomiting, that would probably be covered by most companies. If someone just has a cough with no fever or other sign of infection, that may not be depending on the insurance company.
 
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