Posted on 09/11/2013 8:54:16 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
A local hospital is closing its doors.
Wellmont Health System is citing unprecedented changes in health care as the reason for closing Lee Regional Medical Center.
Company officials say three reasons led to the decision reimbursement cuts associated with the Affordable Care Act, extremely low community use of the hospital and a lack of consistent physician coverage.
(snip)
Wellmont says the closure is to major cuts in Medicare reimbursements by the federal government associated with the Affordable Care Act and a lack of Medicaid expansion by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
(Excerpt) Read more at wcyb.com ...
This will largely be ignored, except by the people impacted. Those impacted are just collateral damaged on the way to implementing the glorious communist agenda.
My daughter loves to photograph. She stepped a little too far off a step, and fell down the rock stairs at a historical site there. Fortunately, it didn't look serious, but we decided a trip to the nearest ER was prudent when she begin complaining about severe arm pain the the right arm which absorbed the fall.
Silly me. I thought this was what ERs were for. Instead, we waited in line, filled out papers, showed our insurance card and had to come up with the $100 co-pay before she could even get in.
Meanwhile, a couple of patients of questionable legal status with sniffles type ailments were ushered right in with none of this rigamarole.
No speak English? No problem. We have Spanish interpreters. No papers? No money? No problem. We'll take care of that too! Don't be distracted by that girl sitting in the corner who has already been here half an hour writhing in pain. She's a second-class citizen.
Lee Regional Medical Center is in Jonesville, VA. That is down in the far western tip of VA.
Yeah, I know...it’s close to my hometown.
I was curious where it was, so I checked the map. Just thought I’d put out the location for the rest of the curious.
You could demand treatment under federal law even without the copayment (you promise to pay it later when billed). They are not supposed to make you pay upfront just to be treated.
Several years ago I took my wife to the emergency room here and had a similar experience. She sat in a chair doubled over in pain while very questionable looking people waltzed in and got immediate attention. Finally I had had enough and I walked back to the desk. I stand six four without shoes and weigh 250 plus whatever clothes I may be wearing. I made sure I did not smile, I let my face show exactly how I felt as I let the people know what I had observed. My wife was seen within five minutes and I noticed a number of nervous glances in my direction. When we got the bill we called the hospital administration and told them exactly how we felt about the whole thing and they dropped the entire emergency room charge.
Good move! I was just shellshocked by the whole experience. Is there some industry in SW Virginia which employs a lot of illegal aliens to give them such special rights?
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