Freestanding ERs fill health care niche

Here in Texas and around the country, a battle is being waged against patients and their wallets — especially against patients in need of emergency medical care.

Many of us pay higher and higher insurance premiums every year, while at the same time, our co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles rise at an unsustainable pace.

A sizable percentage of these insurance products are little more than “junk plans” that cost a small fortune and offer little in return — which is bad enough. But just as concerning is the push by major health care companies to discourage what they see as “unnecessary ER visits.” When did insurance companies get the idea they know an emergency medical situation better than the patient who is experiencing it?

Earlier this year, the Harris Poll released a study showing that only 16 percent of U.S. consumers believe health insurance companies prioritize patients over profits. But the same study showed that more than half of consumers believe America’s doctors and nurses make a positive difference in our country. Patients value doctors’ and nurses’ efforts while health insurance companies face resounding skepticism and criticism for the way they do business.

And lately, insurers have made it their business to discourage patients from seeking emergency medical attention at freestanding ERs, even if they are the nearest source of high quality care for many patients. They even falsely allege that these ERs prefer to be out of network or concentrated in wealthy neighborhoods that already benefit from a wide selection of health care options. For the vast majority of our facilities, nothing could be further from the truth.

Just look at one of the freestanding emergency centers in Lubbock. Last week, overloaded hospitals there were unable to accept any additional non-trauma patients. People with non-life threatening — but still serious — emergency medical needs would have had no place to receive emergency care were it not for the dedicated staff at one of these institutions. Three different ambulances arrived within minutes of each other at one point, and all patients received the care they needed and deserved.

During Hurricane Harvey, a number of hospitals and medical practices were forced to shut their doors due to flooding, power loss and other challenges. Freestanding ERs across Houston and the region served as shelters in the storm. In places such as Rockport, there was no emergency care available within a thirty-mile radius except for one freestanding emergency center, which was able to meet the needs of hundreds of patients.

Throughout Harvey, my own standalone ERs — including locations in Atascocita and Pearland — remained open throughout the storm and served hundreds of patients with emergency medical conditions. All of them received outstanding care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Today, freestanding ERs are an essential part of Texas’ medical infrastructure, and without them, too many patients’ medical needs wouldn’t be met. Independent emergency centers exist for three simple reasons: to provide better, faster and less expensive emergency medical care. By Texas law, insurers are required to pay emergency medical claims at in-network rates. Misleading patients about that is unethical.

As a trained ER nurse of many years, I can tell you unequivocally that our highest priority is treating our patients’ critical medical needs and getting them back to full health. Insurance companies may try to convince you otherwise, but then again, they are in the business of making money. Our business is saving lives and making people better.