Klarinet Archive - Posting 000549.txt from 2004/08

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Costco caskets
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 08:38:40 -0400

At 07:41 AM 8/19/2004 -0400, David B. wrote:
>There used to be a company called "urgent care" which would have
>doctors on staff which anyone could come into and see a doctor without
>an appointment and at off hours. They lasted about 3 years and then
>shut down. I wonder if they were/are required to report everything to
>the health records bureau? (not sure of the name, but there is a
>national database of medical records which gets all of the medical
>reports (insurance companies have access to it)- that's why somebody
>with a previous health condition can't just write on an application
>that they are 100% well and get away with it.

There are still similar operations, like Redi-Med, that provide urgent
care, that gray area between "emergency" (heart attack, broken bones,
severe bleeding) and "routine" (wait two weeks for an appointment). Urgent
care is really a very necessary service that the medical profession must
provide, but it has been somewhat neglected until recently. There is no
reason to clog emergency rooms with ear infections and such, but you can't
wait interminably long times for an appointment, either.

I do not believe there actually IS such a national database at this time in
the US, but many people fear that the development of one will result in
just the scenario you suggest. I think the insurance companies should be
forbidden from accessing the information. It flies in the face of the
whole principle of shared risk that the system is based on. I'd be happy
to insure only those cars that are kept in the garage all the time and
never driven!

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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