Why YSK: If youāre injured or ill but itās not life or limb threatening and you decide to call an ambulance thinking itāll be faster and youāll be seen firstā¦ WRONG. Ambulance crews very frequently will advise the hospital staff that you ācan waitā. Then weāll plop you into a wheel chair and push you into the waiting room with everyone else.
Donāt worry. As an American, I donāt entertain the thought of calling an ambulance for anything less than life threatening.
A lot of places are moving to āsoft billingā where youāll be sent a bill but if you donāt pay itās written off; or no billing for residents. (Assuming you habe government run EMS and not private)
As an volunteer EMT I hate hearing that a pt doesnāt want to be transported because of the price. Life saving care shouldnāt be cost prohibitive, Iām glad my jurisdiction changed as this became more common.
Alsoā¦ In the US a lot of people donāt want to call an ambulance because of the cost, BUT it doesnāt cost anything for them to show up and assess whether you need to go in an ambulance or not. So if you are in a potentially life threatening situation, you should call 911. They can show up, potentially save your life, and then have a friend transport you.
It isnāt common but some places do charge for an āassessmentā in the US. Itās relatively cheap compared to a transport, like $50-75 at least thatās what I know from my experience and Iāve only ever worked at one place that did that.
It isnāt common but some places do charge for an āassessmentā in the US. Itās relatively cheap compared to a transport, like $50-75 at least thatās what I know from my experience and Iāve only ever worked at one place that did that.
This is quite true, with one exception: It would be very wrong for any medic or EMT to tell a receiving nurse āthat you can waitā. I am a paramedic in Virgina, USA, and thatās not how we do things. We deliver the patient to the ER, tell the nurse the patientās chief complaint, our findings, and any other pertinent information. We do not presume to diagnose the patient or suggest treatment modalities or strategies. The nurse passes our information and any new findings to the doctor. It is ALWAYS the doctor who tells the nurse to find a staff member to wheel a non-emergent patient out of the emergency room. very often, as you point out.
Comes up to the country.
In Germany if you think you have something serious CALL 112 and ask for an ambulance ASAP you will be put in the next hospital with space put instantly in and get care ASAP
While going on feet / yourself to emergency care can take literarily hours.
And it will either be free or cost almost nothing.
Why itās important to know? There was a question from American student in Germany on r/germany. They had an abdomen pain and roommate called an ambulance without asking. Student was terrified as they thought it wonāt be able to pay the bill afterwards. American health system sucks :(
ye it will cost you in worst case 40 euro for the ambulance and 10 ā¬ per day for max 24 days per year if you need to stay in hospital. thats it.
10ā¬ per day for a hospital stay just absolutely blows my mind. A quick google says the average cost in the U.S. is around $2800 per day. So 28,000% higher. This is why two thirds of bankruptcies in the US are from medical debt. U.S. #1!
If you want to be treated sooner, arrive with a more serious injury.
spoiler
I do not recommend this.
