|
Morning Shorts
Thursday, Apr 2, 2009 - Posted by Mike Murray * Many Medicare patients return soon after hospital discharge
* New jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 669K * Chicago jobless rate at 9.2%: beats L.A., not N.Y. * A kinder, gentler eviction process for Cook County * Local Government in Rockford Threatened by Economy * In the trenches with the jobless * Protesters promise not to ruin Olympic visit
* Daley urges residents to support Olympic bid * Protests, flowers to greet panel * Big plans for Games are a big plus for city * Chicago Olympics: Tourists get a jump on IOC judges * A letter to the Olympics * Bus ads promoting healthy gays defaced - 3 words taped over or cut out: gay, sexy, healthy * City quietly builds backup 911 site at O’Hare Airport * Fast, Friendly Hearing for Duckworth * A deeper look at that sinking feeling over coal mines * Madigan offers homeowners help - Attorney general in Peoria to discuss foreclosure help line, warn of ‘rescue’ companies * Treasurer will help public seek unclaimed property * Schoenburg: Shimkus’ food for thought at hearing prompts snickers * LaHood, ‘hottest freshman,’ transit on Illinois’ plate * LaHood Says Illinois is Right on Track * LaHood: Low bids may mean more stimulus projects
|
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Apr 2, 09 @ 9:42 am:
Bus ads promoting healthy gays defaced - 3 words taped over or cut out: gay, sexy, healthy
…”Some people . . . believe that gay people are unnatural and diseased and bad people,'’ he said. “Homophobia is alive and un-well.'’ - Jim Pickett, director of advocacy for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Really? Is this what happened here? Or is it possible that some people are a bit put off with an ad for something called “LifeLube”, that also mentions gay, sexy, healthy as though it could be a KY-type jelly?
It is a blog for gay issues called LifeLube. OK - weird, but catchy - kinda icky…What’s that…?
Think of us as the sticky stuff that keeps gay men together.
Uh - can I not think about lubing and sticky stuff keeping gay men together?
So are we really angry heteros, or are we just grossed out by the unsubtle presentation of this ad? Obviously it was worded and designed to be in your face and attract attention. Obviously someone in this world would object to this type of presentation.
But now they are getting even more attention thanks to this victim-spin. That is what they wanted after all, right?
- Quinn T. Sential F/K/A Blago Sphere "TM" - Thursday, Apr 2, 09 @ 12:39 pm:
Medicare patients do have a primary care physician; and that is whoever is on duty at the Emergency Room. Regular PCP’s can collect deductibles and co-payments prior to treatment which is difficult to do in an ER environment.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) (42 U.S.C.A. § 1395dd),was designed to prevent “patient dumping,” that is, transferring undesirable patients to another facility. The law applies to all hospitals receiving federal funds, such as MEDICARE (almost all do). The law requires hospitals to provide a screening exam to determine if an emergency condition exists, provide stabilizing treatment to any emergency patient or to any woman in active labor before transfer, and continue treatment until a patient can be discharged or transferred without harm. It also delineates strict guidelines for the transfer of a patient who cannot be stabilized.
This is one reason why the cost of care for Medicare and Medicaid patients can be so high, and why the hospital shifts those costs to other insured patients from whom collections can be less challenging.
A hospital that negligently or knowingly and willfully violates any of these provisions can be terminated or suspended from Medicare. The physician, the hospital, or both can also be penalized up to $50,000 for each knowing violation of the law.