Lots of interesting news today

[RatLabGuy]

I don't understand why ER's don't just have two distinct sides -- one for 'real' emergency care, the other - totally separate section - an urgent care for all the cold, flu, stubbed toe people. Staff it with PA's. Triage, you go left or right. Don't let them overload the ER.

(The real reason--more patients > more overload > more federal funding. There is good incentive to take anyone and everyone.)

... because we already have tons of separate urgent care places that do exactly that?
Our regional hospital has one right down the street.
I guess the problem is they don't have somebody saying, "Go there instead."

 

[RatLabGuy]

But then he drove himself to the hospital. By doing so didn't he just prove the point of the low cost intermediary that exists because of people like him?

yes, he took the liability upon himself to do that.
Dude had appendicitis. Could have been no big deal for days... could have ruptured on the way there... then what?

In this case Uber (or that driver, depending on contract) is taking on the liability of a potential major health incident. They (Uber) specifically put themselves in this situation by setting up this scenario, knowing it was for a potential emergency situation.

 

[RatLabGuy]

New Airbnb rules ban hosts from making guests wash dishes, do laundry & other checkout chores - Dexerto

Airbnb is cracking down on excessive checkout chores with new rules preventing hosts from forcing guests to wash dishes and do laundry.

www.dexerto.com

 

[jeepinmatt]

what if he started hemorrhaging with 10 miles to go while in a taxi?
ambulances exist for this very reason.

Better off than in his own car. That's the great paradox here. My grandmother was one of those people who would call 911 and get taken to the hospital in an ambulance mostly just for the attention. Call 911, complain of chest pain, free ride on the attention express.

 

[mbalbritton]

Also news: most people respond based on feels vs. facts.

Put me in the minority that wouldn't mind seeing a well planned data center in my tax district. I'm eyeing the Goodyear tire plant campus that is slated to close near me and thinking "damn, that would be a great spot for a data center."

Here's a decent article that actually breaks down both sides of the issue... BLUF: data centers can be built with efficient cooling and onsite energy production to reduce impacts on the community.

https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/i-kept-hearing-that-ai-data-centers-are-draining-towns-dry-so-i-looked-at-the-evidence?utm_source=google&utm_medium=h5d&utm_campaign=h_tg_00359&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24149654775&gbraid=0AAAAAqzfqMa2sKiTMOTH2fsBqAtoi4RJf&gclid=CjwKCAjw3NHWBhANEiwAtpwId2zKYFpu00I-4rgCxaqrJR5REXUAf03fqgcCtoYnnzg6LGoukcLqcBoCRcwQAvD_BwE

There’s a fault in your line of thinking.

That doesn’t get another over budgeted project to a developer so that the developer can give kickbacks to the politician.

With the amount of development in Florida it drives me up the wall to see new warehouses malls and shopping centers going up right next to old and vacant ones.

An old factory would be great.

My one main concern with data centers is that with how fast technology changes and gets smaller and more efficient and we develop new ways of storing data, in 10-20-30 years these data centers could be obsolete. Then we have yet another large facility collecting dust next to the new hotness.

 

[benXJ]

... because we already have tons of separate urgent care places that do exactly that?
Our regional hospital has one right down the street.
I guess the problem is they don't have somebody saying, "Go there instead."

You have to pay at an urgent care.

Not at the ER.

And here we are

 

[Jody Treadway]

... because we already have tons of separate urgent care places that do exactly that?
Our regional hospital has one right down the street.
I guess the problem is they don't have somebody saying, "Go there instead."

True. But around here at least, most urgent cares don't open until 9am.
Had to take my wife to ER a while back at 430 AM because no UC were open yet. Ended up with a crazy high bill but the UC was our only option at that time of day (night).

 

[jeepinmatt]

True. But around here at least, most urgent cares don't open until 9am.
Had to take my wife to ER a while back at 430 AM because no UC were open yet. Ended up with a crazy high bill but the UC was our only option at that time of day (night).

Yep. Drove myself to the ER (got there faster than an ambulance or an Uber at 1am a couple years ago because I was starting to have an allergic reaction to an insect bite on my eye lid. Would have loved to go to urgent care instead, but they were closed. And with a reaction like that, you might be fine, or you might die, and by the time you figure out which, it is too late. They poked something in my butt and my throat started opening up (no homo) so that was the right decision I guess.

 

[RatLabGuy]

Better off than in his own car. That's the great paradox here. My grandmother was one of those people who would call 911 and get taken to the hospital in an ambulance mostly just for the attention. Call 911, complain of chest pain, free ride on the attention express.

the 911 dispatcher doesn't know who is a real emergency and who isn't

 

[RatLabGuy]

You have to pay at an urgent care.

Not at the ER.

And here we are

So is the solution to allow ER to deny people who can't pay on the spot or to force urgent care to accept anyone?

 

[jeepinmatt]

the 911 dispatcher doesn't know who is a real emergency and who isn't

It appears in Wake County it is their job to assess whether a real ambulance is needed, or an Uber with a nurse is good enough. And they have to do that based on the callers own recognizance and what they communicate. So while I agree with your statement in some way, that is not the topic at hand in this situation.

??
Last time I went to urgent care I had a $35 copay on site.
Last time I went to ER I had a... $50 copay on site.

That is because you have insurance. If you don't have insurance, they will treat you no matter what, and if you don't pay, they will not go after you in any significant way because even though health care is not a "right" it is a bit of a protected class when it comes to debt collection and credit reporting.

 

[benXJ]

Yep. Give a fake name and say you dont have insurance while at the ER.

Taxpayers got you

 

[gslander]

why do my property taxes keep going up if all these millions of transplants are paying all these new taxes yet they don't have sufficient EMTs/ambulances?

where is all the new money going?!

Because EMTs and ambulances actually help people. They need those funds for useless monuments, fancy signs, round abouts that confuse everyone and flock cameras that really don't prevent any serious crime. Government isn't there to help anyone, its only purpose is to justify its own existence.

 

[RatLabGuy]

Yep. Give a fake name and say you dont have insurance while at the ER.

Taxpayers got you

So should they just.... Not?

Which is better, deny people who can't pay, or force all services to take people so the ER can focus on real emergencies?