Good to see this conversation desertrat and sun&sand. So many of us go to emergency for a real emergency only to see the guy you usually see begging at the nearest stoplight and talking to himself being treated before you. In any event we don't understand what is going on in ER's. I waited 1.5 hrs suffering from a kidney stone, my first so I didn't know what it was but the person who signed me in said It's a kidney stone" while people came in with a cold, a sick baby, a narc obviously wanting a fix all went before me. I don't know what the answer is either, public medicine has it's drawbacks as listed above. BTW -- the next kidney stone I knew what it was....stayed home, took a couple pills and 10 short hours later...it passed. Why go to ER and clog the system more.

I know someone whose child is on Medicade who constantly goes to the ER or to the doctor with the child. And I mean CONSTANTLY!!! But her other child who is not on medicade (don't know why?) never goes. Can anyone see through this glass? Every time she goes I feel like just giving her a check in exchange for her giving the kid a tylenol. She always brings me that work letter desertrat was talking about. Meanwhile telling me about the big screen TV they just bought or their new clothes washer or how all the toys can't fit into her childs room. BARF