Ambulances start charging extra for obese patients

[Eric]

just need to see what you all think of this

As the nation battles the obesity crisis, ambulance crews are trying to improve how they transport extremely heavy patients, who become significantly more difficult to move as they surpass 350 pounds (159 kilograms). And caring for such patients is expensive, requiring costly equipment and extra workers, so some ambulance companies have started charging higher fees for especially overweight people.

http://www.mddailyrecord.com/article.cfm?id=158873&type=Daily

[MrB_EMT]

As an "over normal weight" person myself I know that being fat is not a disease it's a choice, you choose to eat crap and live a sedentary lifestyle (I eat crap, but feel bad about it and kick my ass at the gym). If people choose to weigh over 500 pounds (I would never let myself go that far 280 is my limit) than they can pay for extra things they use. If you take up 2 seats on a plane you pay for 2 seats, if an ambulance company spends an extra $10,000 so they can save your life when you have an AMI by all means you should pay extra when they do.

[Dustdevil]

just need to see what you all think of this

I think it's late and in the wrong forum.

http://www.emtcity.com/index.php/topic/16705-news-feed-ems-services-begin-to-charge-extra-for-obese-patients-jemscom/

[Just Plain Ruff]

As an "over normal weight" person myself I know that being fat is not a disease it's a choice, you choose to eat crap and live a sedentary lifestyle (I eat crap, but feel bad about it and kick my ass at the gym). If people choose to weigh over 500 pounds (I would never let myself go that far 280 is my limit) than they can pay for extra things they use. If you take up 2 seats on a plane you pay for 2 seats, if an ambulance company spends an extra $10,000 so they can save your life when you have an AMI by all means you should pay extra when they do.

I have no problem with this.

[FireMedic65]

How are we to determine "obese"? Fat != obese. Do we carry a scale with us? I know, sometimes it is obvious, but where do w draw the line?

I don't have any issue with charging extra for it. It costs extra money for them to buy fat clothes, why not ambulance rides. Maybe frequent fliers and most everyone else will see the added charge and oh I dunno.. get off their ass and exercise and lose some weight.

Dealing with obese patients isn't very easy. Often they require specialized equipment. Many stretchers and stair chairs won't even accommodate some of these patients, let alone hold the load if they fit. The straps don't always fit to secure them. You also need extra hands to put them into the ambulance.

[Just Plain Ruff]

How are we to determine "obese"? Fat != obese. Do we carry a scale with us? I know, sometimes it is obvious, but where do w draw the line?

I don't have any issue with charging extra for it. It costs extra money for them to buy fat clothes, why not ambulance rides. Maybe frequent fliers and most everyone else will see the added charge and oh I dunno.. get off their ass and exercise and lose some weight.

Dealing with obese patients isn't very easy. Often they require specialized equipment. Many stretchers and stair chairs won't even accommodate some of these patients, let alone hold the load if they fit. The straps don't always fit to secure them. You also need extra hands to put them into the ambulance.

Unfortunately we won't see any money from charging the patient extra. Reason - insurance and people don't pay it anyway. When our service gets 25bucks from Medicare or medicaid for a cardiac monitor, what makes you think that they will pay for the extra charge for us dealing with the fat person.

[FireMedic65]

Unfortunately we won't see any money from charging the patient extra. Reason - insurance and people don't pay it anyway. When our service gets 25bucks from Medicare or medicaid for a cardiac monitor, what makes you think that they will pay for the extra charge for us dealing with the fat person.

Sounds about it... "I can't pay my bill" Ok, so we will charge you more. Sort of like a credit card and the interest rates. People who can't pay, get charged more. Not that this is the same thing.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Sounds about it... "I can't pay my bill" Ok, so we will charge you more. Sort of like a credit card and the interest rates. People who can't pay, get charged more. Not that this is the same thing.

Well, this is actually the same thing.

The patient gets charged more, they see the bill and they don't pay. Then they get hit with collection charges and interest from collection agencies.

So yeah, this is kind of really the same thing.

[FireMedic65]

Well, this is actually the same thing.

The patient gets charged more, they see the bill and they don't pay. Then they get hit with collection charges and interest from collection agencies.

So yeah, this is kind of really the same thing.

Guess you are right, I didn't think of the collections.

[NickD]

But who benefits from charging more? Will the obese Pt get better service and will it make it easier for us to provide for the obese? Or will it be more billable items for the ambu company and insurance firms?

Maybe it depends more on where you are located. If a service in a rural area or small town has to call in off duty people to come help is that a valid point of consideration? I guess the larger question is shouldn't a service be able to handle the expected? And can you really say nowadays obese people are out of the ordinary.

Calling for manpower never happens where I am as there's always a half dozen fire guys standing around outside. In fact it's about the only time rolling fire on every call seems to pay off. On the other hand having more than one bariatric gurney, or bariatric rig, is good as even in a city like Los Angeles we sometimes have to wait in line for them.

I'll leave it this way. I think it's only fair to charge more when someone gets more. I don't think it's fair to charge more for the same level of service everyone else gets.

I once broke my leg and flew home from New Zealand in a hip to toe cast. The airline made me purchase an extra seat as I couldn't sit normally. But I got more for my money. When the FA came around for our dinner orders I told her, "I'll have the chicken, my leg will have the steak."