#AIR-CLINIC PUBLIC FORUM 18: Should Hospital Bills Be Paid Before or After Treatment?
Hello Air-Clinicians & Friends,_
It's a beautiful morning and about time for us to examine our ideologies. This is the 18th episode of ACPF where we give our followers/ members the opportunity to contribute to trending and useful health-related topics.
Public Health Forum is an opportunity for anyone interested to bring solutions to common healthcare problems of general concern especially now that AIR-CLINIC could possibly extend its tentacles offline. Your opinion matters to us all!
Last week, we discussed about :Should Canabis be Legalized?!
**It made quite an interesting discuss as people shared a lot even mixed with personal experiences. We appreciate the contributions of the following persons who dropped their meaningful opinions most of which spoke from their personal experiences. They include @el-morenza, @tolusedove, @dubem-eu, @uche-nna, @eprolific.
On the Topic of this Week...
This is one issue in the Healthcare sector that has caused alot of problems for many. Many times, when accident victims are brought to a Hospital's Accident and Emergency ward, they are sometimes left unattended to or treatment not fully administered because they isn't anyone to settle their bills or no payment done at all. Worse still, some hospitals actually have it as a rule that until payment is done, patients will not be treated and this has led to many deaths that shouldn't have been.
Let's hear your views on this very important issue as it deals with monetary aspect of Hospital management.What's the best for taking care of patients who urgently need to be attended to but do not have the means to at that time or even at all. Every comment gets a good Upvote.
We expect your candid opinions on this topic!
Contact #Air-Clinic On Discord! Click here https://discord.gg.rqded5m
To keep a business moving, up and running, there should be a strategic way of handling finance(Money) in a way that would be favorable to the Organisation in question and the customers patronizing them.
The decision of attending to customers with or without bills payments can be viewed from different perspective
Hospitals with the policies of receiving payments before attending to patients definitely have their reasons because mismanagement of resources and fall in the level of liquidity can be the end-product of attending to customers without receiving an initial payment. Yes!!! the (Hospitals) decision is a very good one to keep the organisation up and running but
Guess what?
We got to loose lives if all hospitals strictly adhere to this policy because in a situation when a person is rushed into an hospital by an helper, needing urgent attention, but because the helper is not able to make payment or deposit little amount, the patient is left and by all chance giving to the condition, He/She gave up. And on a normal healthy day, the patient can afford the money. Now tell me how will the relatives feel if they get to know she wasn't attended to because of money?.
The organisation(Hospitals) policies can be adjusted in a way that patients are attended to with or without payment just to safe people live, Now tell me
To have a Balanced solution which favors both the hospital and the patients.
I suggest........ Everybody get a ICE(In Case of Emergency) account, details like phone numbers of relatives and the Bank account manager always in our bags, on phones, purse or wallet that can be accessed only during emergencies with a call\mail to the Key Account manager from the representative of the hospital informing them of the patients condition and the required amount to be paid and the bank giving their assurance to pay the bills.
That can be done in place of ignoring patients, increasing the level of Mortality.
LOL........I already made a post
That's cool
It depends on the medical condition. If it's not an emergency then the patient should at least deposit a substantial part of the money if not all before receiving treatment. However if it's an emergency then, treatment can be done before payment. After the emergency has been averted then the patient can be asked to pay.
@stacey31 This is even a better option to asking patient to pay all before getting treated. Thank you.
#AIR-CLINIC
But what if the patient and their relatives refuse to pay, will they arrest the just treated patient?
Most of them pay but others that cannot pay will not be allowed to leave the hospital until they pay @anikys3reasure
And the patient will continue to occupy their bed space that can be used for some other things. And the person must not die of hunger,they will also have to give food....i don't know if you grab..
For me, Payment before service would be rendered. I know it's not cool at all but we have to remove sentiments because it would be very obvious for people not to pay and that would lead to the close of the hospital which would have been able to save more life. The hospital will close down because as soon as people know of this they won't pay their bills, and the hospital won't be able to pay salaries of doctors, health workers, security, replace some equipments and lots more. Just saying
#Air-Clinic-Rocks
@menoski Thank you for your contribution. We appreciate it.
#AIR-CLINIC
In the case of emergency, it is expected that the life be attended to first before asking for money. We've had cases where accident-ed patient are asked to bring police report before they can be attended to this is not okay. The other question to this discussion is, if a patient pass out (dies) during treatment even when the patient has paid for the treatment in full, are there refund?
@kennykajo, ideally they should be refunded but then when you put into consideration other things that were given during the course of treatment then you know it's not necessary. Thanks for your contribution.
#AIR-CLINIC
Well saving human life should be given first priority.. Accident can occur at any time any where.. The first deuty of doctor is to treat the victim.. If they ask for money before and the victim couldnt gather the money in time the patient may lead to death.. Well a bond or a signed check (with date) can be taken from patent side during operation is in progressduring operation is in progress
Overaall accounding to me a victim or patent should b treated in case of accident matter without asking for money before..
@chetan9. Thank you for speaking what you believe should be the way in handling such issues. We appreciate you.
#AIR-CLINIC