Health Reform, Too Tough on Hospital Readmission

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I was readmitted to the hospital via er for abdominal pain & other symptoms.I was given basic care to ease pain & discomfort had a series of test and was told by several physicians "WE ARE NOT DOING SURGERY"!!! The Hospitalists made it very clear there was no attempt to try & resolve the problem after 3 days inpatient the Hospitalist was going to discharge me i had to inform her that the specialist were ordering tests the following day. Long story short I was unsafely discharged with unwanted escort by hospital security! I am just another American uninsured casualty! Would I have been treated this way if I were an insured American? America's healthcare system is controlled by all the insurance companies.It's like the mob either Play(paying ridiculously high premiums) or Pay(being treated as if i were 2 days ago). I am still not feeling well & feel as if I were a piece of trash!

Alegna of NJ 9:13AM December 23, 2009

Old age is a blessing for many as health has improved and medicine has given them better care. What happens to old people with chronic health problems or who are on continual medicare say for hypertension or diabetes or other disorders which require long term health care? Who will decide the dates of their readmissions - their medical condition or the health policy. No one can decide for health and disease are part and parcel of our lives. In a country like USA it is a social contract. You cannot cut or regulate health care to cut down expenses or help decide allocation of scarce healthcare resources.
There is a no short cut to ailing economy. One cannot hold a magic wand to bring back the global economy to normalcy. What we sow we reap. That is why we need leaders with clear vision and long sightedness. Myopic look and holes in economic cancer can never be treated fast. It takes time. You can have policies in place. It is the human life that needs care whether old or young.
we have traveled far away from human nature and ancient wisdom. We wish to conquer space while killing our living earth. In the pursuit of human well-being we have compromised our Mother Nature. Artificial means of enhancing the quality of life at the expense of Natural methods of living is consting us dearly. We have increased our life span so also their dependence on hospital care. sheriff

dhastagir sheriff 6:59AM September 23, 2009

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Besides being an avid reader, I'm into crafty stuff like scrapbooking and knitting. Thanks for reading

brucejohnson of AL 7:01PM September 15, 2009

Patients need the best treatment possible in an efficient manner. The longer an elderly stays in a hospital, the weaker they get. As a physician, I feel you should discharge patients as soon as the acute problem is resolved. For example, a patient admitted for heart failure should go home in my opinion when they can walk without crippling shortness of breath and are no longer on iv medicines. A side effect of this is the occasional readmission. In addition, hospitals are incubators for virulent organisms. This whole reform is a plan to move to socialism. The gop needs to wake up and stop these communists before they ruin this country.

s of AL 2:24PM August 01, 2009

"Medicare, which covers virtually all of the elderly by fiat (if elders don't buy into it, they lose their Social Security) has the power to say "No" to expensive treatments."
Perhaps the good doctor would care to explain the above comment she made in her article. I worked with Medicare for 16 years and yes, beneficiaries are penalized if they do not take Medicare when they first become eligible for it and then decide to take it later on, but they do not lose their Social Security.
Explain, please?

Mae of OK 2:24PM July 07, 2009

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cheap fioricet 32 of WI 6:37PM July 05, 2009

If I take my car to an auto shop to have a repair done, and that repair doesn't last 30 days, do I want to pay again for the same thing? Gee, maybe they didn't fix it right in the first place?
There is an analogy to readmissions in health care. The proposed plan doesn't deny reimbursement, it would limit the level of payment to hospitals who have readmissions above a certain "critcal" threshold. The plan also rewards hospital with readmission rates significantly below the national average; thus producing an incentive to do better.

drtuvoc of MD 10:32AM June 17, 2009

Though Dr. Healy's article is helpful in illuminating the challenges to instituting better transitional care planning to reduce readmissions, she certainly provides no suggestions for effective alternatives. Undoubtedly, we are facing rising costs, increasing our geriatric problem and a struggling economy - we cannot stand idly criticizing attempts to resolve our health care crises. Rather we must be innovative and pioneering.
I applaud the initiatives throughout the country to develop programs and policies that may offer solutions for reducing preventable readmissions (for which clinicians have attested are observable). Despite questions about financing and effective decision-making, these efforts will lead our country in health care for the 21st century.

Lindsay of CA 12:13AM June 05, 2009

If this is how President Obama plans to save money for Medicare, he is doing so by eliminating many elderly and very ill people. The studies presented in this article shows that a 90% were alive the next year, and their admissions were emergencies. If they had not been readmitted when needed, they would have probably died. Obama's action is really immoral as well as showing how little thought he puts into plans before he acts causing him to recant. We simply can't let him persevere in causing the death of our elderly (or disabled younger citizens on Medicare) citizens. Where is common sense?
I agree that preventative medicine is great, but at this stage, the elderly are beyond that point. Shall we just kill them off to save money while this administration throws trillions away in other plans which are not going to work? I think not! It's inhumane and reminiscent of the disregard for human life that Hitler exhibited.

Charlotte of FL 3:22PM May 25, 2009

Hmmm… Health Care for ALL Americans is Simple!
1) MERGE Medicare with Medicaide into one single "Income Based" system for poor and elderly citizens.
2) REQUIRE insurance companies to provide the same basic coverage for ALL Non-Medicare/Medicaide citizens, regardless of health status, at affordable rates.
3) ALLOW insurance companies to "Profit" by offering additional benefits and options to those who qualify and are willing to pay the difference.
As for Funding…
1) Changing from an "Emergency Treatment" to a "Preventive Care" system will save local communities billions, maybe even trillions of taxpayer dollars!
2) Small business will be able to compete globally and hire additional taxpaying employees!
3) Wealthy seniors will pay their fair share!
4) The tremendous burden on future generations will be greatly reduced!

jpinsatx of TX 9:38AM May 25, 2009