DISQUS

A Happy Hospitalist: http://thehappyhospitalist.blogspot.com/2009/05/i-cant-afford-that-4-walmart.html

  • Alexy_Inciarte · 7 months ago
    work on my ER, an youll see poor people on impresive numbers.

    I dont have money for this, they dont even have money for transportation, yet they have 10 childs, and dont have at least 5$.
  • Anonymous · 7 months ago
    Happy -
    Long time reader....first time poster.
    Anyways, I'm a MS3 and hear this excuse all the time, yet they'll smoke cigs ($6/pack in my state) and have the really nice cell phone that I want but can't afford.

    What do you say to them?

    I want to call them out on both of these points, but feel like its not a med students place and dream about the day that I'm an attending and can ask these people what is wrong with them and their priorities.

    -MSIII
  • Alan Mead · 7 months ago
    What did you say to the guy?

    I have similar situations and I'm such a wuss about it. I never call them out on that crap.

    What did you say?
  • Neil · 7 months ago
    Saw the title of this post and suspected immediately that this person was a smoker.
  • The Refugee · 7 months ago
    Fear not, MS3. If you ever work for a hospital that's more concerned about treating patients as consumers, they won't WANT you calling out patients on their B.S.

    It's the same reason our "smoke-free campus" allows patients and their IV poles smoke in front of the hospital amongst NO LESS than 30
    "No Smoking" signs. Don't wanna piss off the consumer!

    Then again... you'd think since these people aren't really paying anything, they wouldn't really care.
  • Nurse K · 7 months ago
    This is a qday phenomenon in my ER. I consider it a yet-to-be-identified type of personality disorder. Everyone can come up with $4. If nothing else, you can stand on the freeway exit with a cardboard sign for an hour and probably get $4. I've even had people panhandle me IN Wal-Mart for various things.
  • Anonymous · 7 months ago
    yes, in my state they are increasing the price of cigarrettes and the extra money will go to health care funding. This was a last resort, tax payers do not want to pay extra for people who don't have insurance, they have enough of their own problems these days. In this situation, there is no other way smokers without means to pay for care, or insurance will contribute to their own health by paying additional cost for their smokes. The bright side non-smokers are not effected, and smokers will be using this money to fund the care they will eventually need anyways, so they really can't complain, right? this is from a smoker. I know booooo!