Hospital

[woohoo]

My experience with healthcare in the USA (whilst on holidays) is that the first question they will ask is "have you got a credit card"? They dont give a monkeys about your health insurance - they want to get paid. They dont care how urgent it is.

Wife had a dental emergency at the weekend once. They made us give credit card number over the phone before they'd even consider it.

Also, daughter was ill (she was 1 at the time). Again, they didnt give a monkeys until you gave them a credit card to pay.

Why cant we do that in the uk?

Yeah but what do you do when the women is about to give birth or poor sod has an attack of the zombies. You can't just push em out in the street just because they haven't got a credit card.

I'm not being a snowflake on this one, it's just that once they present themselves at the hospital what do you actually do.

[vetran]

Yeah but what do you do when the women is about to give birth or poor sod has an attack of the zombies. You can't just push em out in the street just because they haven't got a credit card.

I'm not being a snowflake on this one, it's just that once they present themselves at the hospital what do you actually do.

You identify the ones entitled. - Photo Drivers license etc.

You ask the remainder for a method of payment or security. If they are visiting they will have a passport.

If they can provide neither. Phone a friend being an option then you have to assume they won't pay or will need encouragement.

You of course need to access their medical records to treat them.

If they have no medical records it is a bit of a clue.

For all except blue light cases you will be waiting a few hours before you are seen. So when you Book in the lady says "Can I see some ID please or a copy of your insurance?" You say I haven't got any on but I will phone someone to bring it in.

The urgent ones that come in via ambulance from the Airport are likely to have an established identity. The other ones the police will want to work out who they are for their paperwork.

Once you start doing it things will get easier.

[fullyautomatix]

My experience with healthcare in the USA (whilst on holidays) is that the first question they will ask is "have you got a credit card"? They dont give a monkeys about your health insurance - they want to get paid. They dont care how urgent it is.

Wife had a dental emergency at the weekend once. They made us give credit card number over the phone before they'd even consider it.

Also, daughter was ill (she was 1 at the time). Again, they didnt give a monkeys until you gave them a credit card to pay.

Why cant we do that in the uk?

Healthcare in US is private, so either you show them valid insurance or show the means of paying for treatment, just like any other country where healthcare is private. If you do not have valid health insurance, US hospitals do not treat you, just like how Tesco wont sell you courgettes if you do not have any money on you.

NHS is a different beast in the way its run and the culture. Anyone coming in with proper cause, in this case, heavily pregnant, will be treated and they wont ask for a card, because its a public service.

[vetran]

Healthcare in US is private, so either you show them valid insurance or show the means of paying for treatment, just like any other country where healthcare is private. If you do not have valid health insurance, US hospitals do not treat you, just like how Tesco wont sell you courgettes if you do not have any money on you.

NHS is a different beast in the way its run and the culture. Anyone coming in with proper cause, in this case, heavily pregnant, will be treated and they wont ask for a card, because its a public service.

And there is the problem its free so people take advantage of it.

If we want it to survive we need to stop that.

That £2m would have paid for 500+ care home spaces. 500 free NHS beds.

[stek]

This is my idea;

1. Ask them to pay or show health insurance.

2. If can't contract their home countries health dept and ask them to pay.

3. If won't send them back on next plane.

4. If becomes an emergency treat them because even visitors are allowed NHS emergency treatment.

I'd agree that some sort of CSI requirement should be implemented.

[Chuck]

I saw an interesting suggestion on how to solve this.

The majority of people who use the service, when they are not entitled to, are from countries that we give aid to. Deduct the cost of all treatment from the aid we give and pass it back to the NHS. It is then up to the countries of origin if they want to do something about health tourism.

[NigelJK]

Booking appointment - £145

That there is exactly the issue. If I go for a filling I don't have to pay for making the appt.

When can we start charging royalties for each transaction our software processes?