G
Guns Guns Guns
Guest
It seems like every time you turn on the news, there's been another shooting in the Tennessee Valley. In fact, just this weekend there were 3 separate shootings in Chattanooga.
All those victims need emergency treatment, and many end up hospitalized for days at enormous costs.
"Well first you've got your ambulance ride which is $1,000 and then whatever they do. Your emergency fee...and again when you talk about cost, you talk about what is billed and what is collected," said Dr. David Wharton, who's been an Emergency Room doctor at Erlanger for 25 years.
That includes everything from minor wounds to traumatic injuries that damage vital organs, or require surgery to repair.
Even the bills for a superficial wound to be treated are relatively high. Typically, a surface wound can cost up to $1,000 if treated in the ER.
Comparatively, more severe, traumatic injuries can run all the way up to $100,000. That's thousands of dollars that the patient isn't always paying themselves, or through their insurance.
Published reports say Erlanger provided $22.4M in charity care in 2009.
Erlanger cannot tell us how much these patients cost our community, but one national study several years ago found that only about one third of the care provided to gunshot victims' was paid for by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.
The rest of that loss is absorbed by the hospitals.
And the Scenic City has had its fair share of shootings so far this year. Most shooting victims here in Chattanooga are brought to Erlanger.
In fact, they say from January through October of this year they treated 45 patients with gunshot wounds.
"From our standpoint, it doesn't matter if it's a gunshot wound or a heart attack or a stroke, we'll treat the most acute ones first, the ones that need the most attention. It's a great advantage that this city has in having a trauma center here," said Dr. Wharton.
Dr. Wharton says the collection rate for ER doctors is only about 20% of what's billed.
http://www.newschannel9.com/news/cost-1006753-emergency-treated.html
All those victims need emergency treatment, and many end up hospitalized for days at enormous costs.
"Well first you've got your ambulance ride which is $1,000 and then whatever they do. Your emergency fee...and again when you talk about cost, you talk about what is billed and what is collected," said Dr. David Wharton, who's been an Emergency Room doctor at Erlanger for 25 years.
That includes everything from minor wounds to traumatic injuries that damage vital organs, or require surgery to repair.
Even the bills for a superficial wound to be treated are relatively high. Typically, a surface wound can cost up to $1,000 if treated in the ER.
Comparatively, more severe, traumatic injuries can run all the way up to $100,000. That's thousands of dollars that the patient isn't always paying themselves, or through their insurance.
Published reports say Erlanger provided $22.4M in charity care in 2009.
Erlanger cannot tell us how much these patients cost our community, but one national study several years ago found that only about one third of the care provided to gunshot victims' was paid for by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.
The rest of that loss is absorbed by the hospitals.
And the Scenic City has had its fair share of shootings so far this year. Most shooting victims here in Chattanooga are brought to Erlanger.
In fact, they say from January through October of this year they treated 45 patients with gunshot wounds.
"From our standpoint, it doesn't matter if it's a gunshot wound or a heart attack or a stroke, we'll treat the most acute ones first, the ones that need the most attention. It's a great advantage that this city has in having a trauma center here," said Dr. Wharton.
Dr. Wharton says the collection rate for ER doctors is only about 20% of what's billed.
http://www.newschannel9.com/news/cost-1006753-emergency-treated.html
