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View Full Version : Laissez-Faire Emergency Room?




Knightskye
06-10-2009, 06:48 AM
If you were shot and needed to go to the emergency room, would the hospital still be required to treat you?

acptulsa
06-10-2009, 06:55 AM
Is this an issue? Does anyone know of an instance where a doctor (with the exception of obvious exceptions, like John Wilkes Booth) refused to treat a patient in serious distress? Ever?

Main thing is, if you go to the emergency room with a head cold they can refuse to treat you. Emergency rooms for emergencies only. Oh, the horrors! How did our ancestors ever live long enough to begat us? :rolleyes:

TER
06-10-2009, 06:58 AM
If you were shot and needed to go to the emergency room, would the hospital still be required to treat you?

Ethically, morally, and legally yes. To not treat would be in violation of their fiduciary duty, their Hippocratic oath, and the law.

sevin
06-10-2009, 07:08 AM
I would think that in a truly laissez-faire economy a hospital, when looking at its budget, would take into account that there are going to be some life-or-death emergencies that the patient can't pay for.

Knightskye
06-10-2009, 10:01 PM
I would think that in a truly laissez-faire economy a hospital, when looking at its budget, would take into account that there are going to be some life-or-death emergencies that the patient can't pay for.

Or treat them well so they'll come back with something less severe, like another business would do. First one's on the house. :)