Posted on 08/25/2010 8:16:29 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Say family does not have insurance to pay cost of precautionary check-up
The family of a 17-year-old Zion teen credited with saving a drowning boy on Monday in Kenosha, Wis., say the good deed has unfairly saddled them with more than $2,000 in medical bills.
“He did what the lifeguard should have done — Trevor saved the boy,” Nicole Bollinger said Tuesday of her cousin, Trevor Hall.
“Now the hospital phones me this morning to say that they’re sending off the bill for Trevor being taken to hospital as a precaution afterwards.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
You know how many bad germs are floating around you? If you don't go to the hospital now, you might die next week.
There was no need to send the kid to the hospital. He could have been checked out at the scene by the EMT. The article didn’t say he aspirated lake water. It said he swallowed lake water.
Since when can a hospital order an outsider (not an emergency patient) to come in and get a series of tests?
They can’t. Not even the EMTs or police can order or take the young hero in if he were not in any kind of imminent danger (i.e, bleeding, dazed, feeling sick, etc). They can suggest it but if they took him, it is against his will (he was too young to resist them) and this could be the basis for a lawsuit. Basically, only his parents/guardians can authorize his admission to the hospital and if they weren’t notified about it, then they have grounds to sue.
Looks like the hospital is going to eat the bill in order to avoid a much larger lawsuit.
PS: I’m a paralegal and work in liability law. My son is a police officer and has had to handle emergency medical situations including my own. He’s trained to do that but he can’t order someone to go to the hospital (unless that person is in imminent danger of harm).
I believe I stated “PRACTICALLY kidnapped”... Let’s review the story:
“Both teens were rushed to the Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha, said Sgt. Gil Benn.”
AT WHO’s REQUEST? The Boy’s, His parents? The Police? Just who decided to compel that this boy should go? Was he the one who nearly drowned? No. He swallowed a little water... BIG EFFING DEAL... I probably swallowed a gallon when I was a kid. I don’t suppose those EMTs had a thing to do with coercing the boy to the hospital, right? And who or what entity directs the EMT to take this action? Oh, I don’t suppose it’s the doctors who train them... Nah, couldn’t be!
But let’s return to the story:
“Hall was taken just for precautionary measures,” Benn said. Hall had swallowed some water in the incident.
And WHO coerced this “precautionary treatment”? Wouldn’t be Hospital staff... Naw, They’d NEVER do that! Never happen. “Oh, Mrs. so-and-so... we really think your son should have these tests, just in case...” I am sure they played up the possible horror scenarios really well... regular drama.
Ah, but now the story line offers us the clincher:
“The hospital later released them, but not before Hall had undergone a battery of tests, including chest X-rays, an electrocardiogram and blood work, said Bollinger.”
So the HOSPITAL RELEASED HIM ONLY AFTER HE WENT THROUGH THEIR BATTERY OF TEST... Hmmm
I maintain my position... practically kidnapped... and then coerced to the hospital staff’s way of thinking... CA-CHING CA-CHING!
It’s okay, the bill is on us...
********************
The hospital says it will wait until Bollinger, who is insured, enrolls Hall, who is currently uninsured, in Illinois’ children health care program before sending its bill. Bollinger said she is working to get Hall enrolled now.
Tunkieicz encouraged Bollinger to fill out the proper paperwork with the county if she feels the county should pay her medical bills.
well if he was an illegal he would get helath care for free.....
The bill is not rightfully owed by Trevor, but by the boy he saved.
Check the link at 27. The mom of the rescued boy offered to pay the medical bill. I think that is what should happen.
The comment that the lifeguard is not supposed to rescue people outside the designated area is more offical bullshit.
The criteria for a lifeguard ( as I was), was that you don’t endanger anyone’s life (including your own) to make a rescue. You do what you can “safely” but you don’t risk your own life when it is more than a dangerous situation. Two dead people don’t make things any better. It’s a hard choice, but reason has to be exercised or there will be more tragedy than was necessary.
Any lifeguard who can’t throw a life-ring over 25-50 ft to someone doesn’t deserve to be a lifeguard. You are supposed to be trained to do that, as well as to recover a drowning victim down to 15-20 feet. Paying attention to what is going on in the water is paramount.
I agree. This was stupid. But I bet the family who now does not want to pay wanted him “checked out”. Then the ER physician knew this was a high profile case thought
I family is demanding him be checked out so I have to do something”. See it all the time.
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