Even if this was only researched in Illinois, you can depend on this happening across the USA. I know that this happens, but I did not realize the magnitude and numbers of children affected. Can this be corrected for the benefit of the children involved – a lot of actions will be needed by all concerned to begin to make this happen.
There was to have been a survey of doctors using at technique employed by stores called mystery shoppers, but titled stealth patients. It was to have been conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and was published in the Federal Register.
As of June 28, 2011, this survey has been put on hold when the American Medical Association (AMA) publicly complained and got the support of Rep. Tom Price, MD (R-GA). This survey was to discover how patients on Medicaid and Medicare are treated when attempting to obtain appointments when compared to those with regular medical insurance.
For doctors, it does reveal that it is all about the money. I say that if they have a standard of living that is so high there is no room for tightening of the financial purse strings, let them go out of business and live like many people are living that can't find jobs in today's economy. Except they will end up employed by hospitals.
The first investigation shows how the medical profession treats the children that have public insurance in the state of Illinois. The second investigation with stealth patients is about adults and what the medical community is not doing for those on Medicaid and Medicare. Hopefully this can be resolved and the survey can go forward, but much of the information is already out and the survey may be a waste now.
Until many issues are resolved for children on public insurance and Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement issues are resolved, the problems will continue to exist and these patients will continue to avail themselves of the Emergency Departments of hospitals where they cannot be refused treatment, but the taxpayers are saddled with the costs.
Read about the Illinois investigation here. The first article about the HHS survey is here, and the article stating the survey is on hold.
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